Liverpool Reject Barcelona’s $93M Bid For Philippe Coutinho

Jurgen Klopp has stated Liverpool have no intention of letting Philippe Coutinho go, despite Barcelona’s attempt to acquire the Brazilian midfielder for £72 million ($93 million).

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“I’m not surprised that any club is interested in players at Liverpool,” Klopp said on Friday at a press conference in Hong Kong, where the Reds are set to play Leicester City on Saturday. “The very important message is that we are not a selling club and that’s how it is. We believe in working together and developing together. We want to make the next step together and for this we need to stay together. We have to create a situation where everybody is easily able to see which direction we want to go. It’s really positive. This is a fantastic club and it’s a good moment for Liverpool.”

“Phil is a very important player for us,” the German manager said of Coutinho. “He’s trying to get back his rhythm but there’s no doubt about his quality. He’s very smart both offensively and defensively. The nice news for us is that he’s still young. He has improved a lot since I’ve been here and he can still improve a lot.”

Coutinho scored 14 goals last season and spent six weeks out with an ankle injury. The 25-year-old signed a five-year deal with Liverpool in January and has been heavily rumored to transfer to Barcelona since a few weeks after he arrived at Anfield, as the Catalan club sees him as a long-term replacement for Andres Iniesta. Coutinho is also close friends with fellow Brazilian star Neymar and Uruguayan forward Luis Suarez, both of whom joined Barcelona from Liverpool in 2014.

Coutinho’s latest contract with Liverpool, worth around £150,000 ($195,000) per week, does not contain a release clause.

The Reds have sold several top players in recent years — Suárez, Raheem Sterling and Fernando Torres, among them — although unlike that trio, Coutinho has never expressed interest in transferring and has repeatedly said he his happy with his current team.

“Go somewhere else, to Barcelona, to Bayern Munich, to Real Madrid, and you will be just another player,” the Brazilian said. “Here you can be something more. I have a long contract with Liverpool.”

Klopp’s team also recently confirmed the signing of Scottish left-back Andy Robertson from Hull for an initial £8 million ($10.4 million), a fee that could increase to £10 million ($13 million). Robertson’s former club Dundee United is expected to pay 10 percent of the transfer fee.

Liverpool finished fourth in the Premier League last season to secure a spot in the Champions League. They will face Leicester in the Premier League Asia Trophy Final on Saturday in Hong Kong. Coutinho came to Anfield from Inter Milan in 2013.

WATFORD, ENGLAND – MAY 01: Philippe Coutinho of Liverpool goes down injured during the Premier League match between Watford and Liverpool at Vicarage Road on May 1, 2017 in Watford, England. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)