Barcelona Offers Liverpool N68billion for Philippe Coutinho

 

Barcelona are preparing a staggering fourth offer worth £138 million (N68 billion) for Philippe Coutinho, according to Sky Sports.

 

This is coming even though Jurgen Klopp has said the club is not interested. The Blaugrana's desperation could finally outweigh the Reds' stubbornness, and it would be a considerable show of strength after what has been a horrendous fortnight for Ernesto Valverde's side.

 

The third bid from the La Liga giants was criticised for the lack of money up front and while Liverpool maintain no offer will be accepted, should a guarantee reach close to £100m, it's understood that their stance may begin to shift.

 

Coutinho handed in a transfer request earlier this month in a bid to convince Liverpool to sell him to Barca, who have had three offers for the forward rejected.

 

The last of those bids was reported to be worth £118 million (128.7 million euros, $151 million), but Liverpool have maintained their stance that the 25-year-old will not be sold in the current transfer window, which shuts at the end of August.

 

 

A back injury and a bout of sickness are keeping Coutinho out of action at present, but Klopp stressed that when he is fit enough to return, there will be no attempt to send him into exile as punishment.

“Of course, everything is okay between me and him. Absolutely. 100 per cent,” Klopp said on Tuesday.

 

Coutinho is yet to feature this term due to a back injury picked up in pre-season and will once again be unavailable when the Reds face Hoffenheim in the second leg of their Champions League qualifier at Anfield.

“He can’t start tomorrow because on top of that he’s now ill,” Klopp said.