Liverpool set £145million Philippe Coutinho asking price to scare off Barcelona

                                                                                                                   AUG/13/2017
 

 

Barcelona will make a third bid in excess of £100million for Philippe Coutinho this week, reports say.

The Liverpool playmaker has handed in a transfer request and is attempting to force a switch to the Nou Camp.

However, Jurgen Klopp has ordered the Liverpool board to reject all offers and the Reds have moved to deter Barcelona.

The Daily Express claim Liverpool have slapped a £145m price tag on Coutinho’s head.

The asking price would certainly cause Barcelona to back off with the Catalan giants not interested in spending such a fee on Coutinho.

Liverpool hope their hardline stance on the transfer fee will scare off Barcelona from making another bid.

Barcelona will submit a third offer in the coming days after being encouraged by Coutinho’s moves to force the situation.

Coutinho was thought to be against the idea of agitating for the transfer and the club was rocked by his official request to join Barcelona.

Klopp has insisted that although the issue is out of his hands, Coutinho’s transfer plea makes no difference to the club’s position.

‘As manager in a football club I have bosses, and if bosses decide, for example, just in general, we sell a player or we don’t sell him – then I have to accept it,’ said Klopp.

‘If they don’t sell him, then I’m not involved anymore.

‘I’m responsible for all the other players, not just one, two, three. 25, whatever.

‘I cannot say anything about it.

‘The only thing is I work with the players I have.’

Coutinho’s request came just a few hours after Liverpool had released a statement insisting their star man was not for sale at any price.

Klopp went on to say he did not think Liverpool would sell Coutinho after making their position clear last Friday.