Philippe Coutinho starting to ruin Liverpool reputation over Barcelona transfer saga... but club have to keep hold of him, says icon Jamie Carragher

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Liverpool's wantaway star Philippe Coutinho is risking his reputation with the handling of his desire to move to Barcelona, according to Jamie Carragher.

Coutinho made a formal transfer request on Friday, asking Liverpool to allow him to move to the Spanish giants just minutes after the club released a statement insisting they would not sell him.

The Nou Camp club have targeted the Brazilian to replace Neymar, who moved to Paris Saint-Germain in a £198million move.

Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher has had his say on Philippe Coutinho's transfer request

Despite Liverpool stating their desire not to sell, the Brazilian wants to move to Barcelona

But Carragher, who spent his entire career at Anfield, believes Coutinho should be retained by Liverpool, citing the example of Luis Suarez.

A close member of Coutinho's family has been quoted as saying the relationship between the playmaker and Jurgen Klopp had broken down, with Carragher believing that is where things crossed the line.

He told Sky Sports: 'I still think he will be at the club. Luis Suarez put in a transfer request, stayed 12 months and played the best football of his life.

'I don't have a problem with him wanting to go to Barcelona. 99 per cent of footballers all around the world would want to do that, but when the transfer request goes in supporters start to feel it a little bit more but it's part of the game.

'The stuff about not getting on with Klopp, these stories getting fed out, that's when I think it crosses the line. I've said about (Virgil) van Dijk, when you say about not playing or not training.

Carragher believes Coutinho risks damaging his reputation with his handling of the move

There has been a suggestion Coutinho's relationship with Jurgen Klopp has broken down

'There's no problem with wanting a move but there's a line you don't cross where you ruin your own reputation and that needs to stop - talking about Klopp and he's not getting on and someone feeding the story.

'Stop that. You've put your transfer request in and now it's up to the club because you've signed a five-year deal so they will make their decision. The decision from the owners is that he's going to stay but two weeks (before the transfer window closes) so that remains to be seen.'

And the former defender also questioned the logic of owners FSG allowing Coutinho to leave.

He added: 'It would change things because he's Liverpool one player who could play for every side on that list (of Premier League big guns).

'It's a lot of money but Liverpool can't afford a nothing season where they can't compete because they're losing their best players. What's the point of Klopp or FSG being here if they continually selling their best players?' 

Jamie Redknapp believes Liverpool should take the money and allow Coutinho to leave

Meanwhile, Sportsmail columnist Jamie Redknapp thinks the Coutinho saga is a difficult situation to deal with at the start of a new campaign, and one that should end with the Reds selling to the Catalan giants.

Redknapp said: 'It's a nightmare scenario for Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp, because when you come into the season you should be full of optimism. Instead, all they are doing is talking about their talisman - is he going to stay or go?

'The difficulty comes now where you have a player who doesn't want to be at your club. We're talking about Liverpool, one of the biggest clubs in the world, and there comes a point when if he doesn't want to be there and you bought him for £8.5million and you can sell him £90m where you have to think about what's best for the club.

'No player is bigger than Liverpool and if he wants to go, let him go, take the money even if it means a difficult season.

'Philippe Coutinho is a wonderful player but he doesn't want to play for Liverpool anymore. He's stated he wants a transfer request and £90million is good money, especially when you consider the £50million Man City paid for De Bruyne.'