Although there’s been talk of Ligue One juggernauts Paris Saint-Germain getting back in the race to sign Liverpool talisman Philippe Coutinho, reports coming out of France have Barcelona reasserting their authority in the pecking order by upping the ante on their rejected bid of £72mil with a “hold my beer” follow up offer of £89mil — a fee that would match insane amount of cash Manchester United paid to bring Paul Pogba to Old Trafford last summer.
The Reds, for their part, remain adamant that the Brazilian is not for sale to anyone, at any price. Having signed a new five year deal in January that reportedly contains no release clause, the Anfield outfit have the future of the Little Magician secured and only have to do business if it’s in their best interest and, for now, there’s absolutely no indication that’s on their minds.
“If you say he is not available to be sold, where is the interpretation?” said Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp when asked about Coutinho ahead of their meeting with Bayern Munich in the Audi Cup later today. “The word ‘not’ means there is no interpretation,” said the German, handing out English lessons to the assembled press. “There is nothing new.”
Now, whether or not that’s true remains to be seen. Since no one knows anything for sure, there’s been conflicting reports about the 25-year old and whether or not he’s pushing to make a move to the Nou Camp this summer. Having captained the Scouse side to a 3-0 win over Hertha Berlin at the weekend, Coutinho looked all business as Liverpool casually swept aside the German outfit and while the Brazilan has given no indication that a move away from Merseyside is on his mind, what goes on behind the scenes and what is shared publicly can be a whole different kettle of fish.
