After months of speculation, Philippe Coutinho has finally agreed to join Barcelona from Liverpool in a British record deal for an initial £106 million, which should rise to £142 million.

The transfer, announced on Saturday evening, will see the 25-year-old sign a five-and-a-half year contract at Barca with a buyout clause of £355 million (€400 million).

Coutinho has had his heart set on moving to the Nou Camp since the summer, and while many have questioned the timing of the move, the Catalans have a plan.

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They want him to integrate into the first-team during the second half of the La Liga campaign, which will keep 33-year-old captain Andres Iniesta fresh for the Champions League.

How will Coutinho fit into Barca’s XI?

So, as the playmaker prepares to swap Anfield for the La Liga leaders, where exactly will he fit into Ernesto Valverde’s starting XI? Let’s take a look.

Barca’s current formation

Following Ousmane Dembele’s hamstring injury, which ruled him out for nearly four months, Barca have successfully adapted to a 4-4-2 formation.

It typically consists of Paulinho, Ivan Rakitic, Sergio Busquets as an anchorman, and Iniesta as a midfield quartet, with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez up front.

In this setup, Coutinho can replace Paulinho and operate on the right-hand side of midfield (where he plays for Brazil), or take Iniesta’s place, who takes up a more inside-left position.

Back to 4-3-3 for Barca

Now that Dembele is back, Barcelona may revert to their traditional 4-3-3 system, with the 20-year-old on the left-wing, Messi floating from the right, and Suarez through the middle.

So, Coutinho would most likely be vying with Dembele for a starting place, however he was magnificent for Liverpool in 2017 as a number eight (attacking central midfielder).

With that in mind, the technically gifted Brazilian could star in one of the two advanced midfield roles behind “MSD”, with Busquets or Rakitic acting as a defensive pivot.

This could be perfect for Coutinho, since he loves to dip onto his right foot from deeper areas to play through balls, create chances or launch shots from distance.

A brand new formation?

Barca fans are buzzing over Coutinho’s signing, but what will make them even happier is if Valverde is able to fit all his main attacking talents into the same team.

Were the 53-year-old to switch a 4-2-3-1 system, it would allow a potentially devastating front four of Coutinho on the left, Dembele off the right, and Leo Messi as a number ten behind Suarez.

That would leave Busquets, Rakitic, Paulinho, Iniesta, Andre Gomes and more to fight for the two central midfield roles in front of the defence.

Coutinho to become Barca superstar?

Despite handing in a transfer request in August, Coutinho refocused and played brilliantly for Liverpool this season, scoring 12 goals and providing nine assists in 20 games.

Barca’s possibilities now seem endless, and Coutinho’s arrival spells serious trouble for fringe players like Gomes, Denis Suarez, Rafinha, Arda Turan and Gerard Deulofeu.

Coutinho offers more goals, invention and dynamism than all of them, and his versatility will also come in extremely handy as Barca aim to dethrone Real Madrid.

Where do YOU think Coutinho should play for Barca? Will he now become one of the world’s very best players? Leave YOUR opinion in the comments box below!