Valverde speaks about Coutinho for the first time

Following Sunday's 3-0 victory over Levante, Valverde was unsurprisingly asked about the playmaker and the Barca boss was full of praise for the Samba star.

"We think he can bring a lot to the team. He knows where the goal is, he creates goals for others, we think he can bring a lot to us attacking-wise and he can play both out wide or through the middle," Valverde explained, before going on to praise the performance of the returning Ousmane Dembele.

Whilst admitting that the deal had been a long time in coming, Valverde said that he was hopeful Coutinho's addition would prove to be a good move for all concerned. "It took a while, but we've finally got out man. We hope that he can help us and that he gets a bit of luck. If he does, it will help us," he told the press.

Finally, Valverde explained that Coutinho is "very versatile," something that Barca will no doubt profit from in the coming years.

- Dembele's return -

From one big-money signing to another, Valverde also discussed the performance of Ousmane Dembele, who made his first start for the club since September on Sunday. "It was his first game as a starter (at home). He needs to bring something to us and get up to the speed of the league. I thought he did well, combining with others, but he knows that he can still improve," Valverde explained.

There were also positive words for Paulinho and Jose Arnaiz, with the latter making his La Liga debut in the game.