Barcelona have reportedly warned Philippe Coutinho that unless they can strike a deal for his transfer soon, they’ll switch their focus elsewhere.
The Brazilian playmaker has been heavily linked with the Catalan giants for months, as they evidently see him as an ideal addition to their star-studded squad.
As reported by The Sun, Liverpool rejected their opening £72m bid as Jurgen Klopp declared that the Reds were not a selling club and so would not be allowing their best players to leave.
In turn, with the threat of Neymar leaving looming large over them, it’s claimed that Barca could scrap their interest in the Liverpool star and switch their attention to Borussia Dortmund youngster Ousmane Dembele instead.
Essentially, it sounds like the La Liga outfit are sending a message to Coutinho, in that he will have to force the issue sooner rather than later to help convince Liverpool to sell him or they will have no other option but to look elsewhere.
Whether that happens remains to be seen, but it appears as though he’ll have the perfect opportunity to do so with The Times reporting that Klopp is set to have face-to-face talks with him, albeit with the intention of telling him that he will not be allowed to join Barcelona.
The 25-year-old is one of the most important pieces in the German tactician’s squad, and it’s no surprise that he doesn’t want to lose him. It’s added that Coutinho is happy at Anfield, but Klopp wants to get his thoughts in person and see where he stands on the matter.
Barcelona are tipped to make an improved bid in the coming days, but this meeting is seemingly going to be crucial as answers are now expected to arrive to determine where Coutinho will be next season.