Klopp warns Barca on Philippe Coutinho
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has told Barcelona that the club’s stance on the future of Philippe Coutinho hasn’t changed despite his recent transfer request – insisting that Liverpool “don’t want the money” from a potential sale.
The Brazilian was the subject of a statement put out by Liverpool on Friday, insisting that the player would not be sold for any price, though Coutinho then appeared to force the club’s hand after submitting a request to leave Anfield.
Barcelona are loaded with cash following the sale of Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain this month, and are looking for a replacement.
Coutinho has been tipped as just that, though while reports of Liverpool’s asking price for the player being well over €100m, Klopp told reporters – via the Mirror – on Monday that the club’s owners will not budge, and do not want to sell their star man.
He said: “It’s not that I don’t want to talk about it, it’s that I can’t change my answers – because there is nothing else to say. If they (Barcelona) say they will bid whatever money, we don’t want it. It is a clear message. The owners are 100 per cent clear on it.
“We don’t want money, we want to invest in the team and have the best team because we have our aims and dreams. That is the message.
“So when I said it’s not important what I think, that is what I mean. I have the player from the 31 August latest, again, or when the back issue is sorted. There is nothing else I can say about it. We are 100 per cent clear on it. There is nothing else to say.”
Source: 90mins
