Liverpool have made extensive attempts to prevent Philippe Coutinho pushing through a £142million move to Barcelona this month, according to the Times.
The newspaper claim that the Merseyside giants are in constant contact with the 25-year-old’s camp to ensure he is still at Anfield when the transfer window shuts on 1 February.
The Times report that Liverpool have offered Coutinho some eyecatching incentives to stay, including a pay rise, but the player has “resisted those overtures”.
Coutinho, who missed the 2-1 FA Cup victory over Everton on Friday night with a thigh injury and has not joined the club’s winter training camp in Dubai – remains intent on flying out to Barcelona at the earliest opportunity.
The Spanish giants are said to be proposing a package to Liverpool of £142m, of which around £36m would be made up of realistic add-ons, and are determined to sign Coutinho now rather than wait until the end of the season even though he is ineligible for the Champions League.
This would be the third biggest transfer in the world, eclipsed only by Neymar’s £198million move to Paris Saint-Germain last summer and Kylian Mbappe’s £166million switch to the French club at the end of the season.
OPINION
It is a statement of intent from Liverpool that they have offered Coutinho a hike on his already massive salary just to keep him sweet for the rest of the season. It is also a sign of their desperation. But the Merseysiders must hold firm and not be bullied by Barcelona and the Brazilian’s camp into a premature sale. The benefits of Liverpool selling Coutinho this month are difficult to pinpoint. Coutinho has played the finest football of his career over the last two months after showing great professionalism to put his failed summer move behind him to pull the strings for one of the most exciting attacks in Europe. There is no reason to believe he will be even less effective if he does not get his dream move this month. Nevertheless, Liverpool should not dig their heels in too much, as it would be counter-productive. They should agree the terms of a summer transfer – at above £150million – that will be triggered at a set date. This will keep Coutinho sweet and also enable the club to benefit from having such an outstanding player on their books – for another six months.