Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool move to end Barcelona's efforts to sign Philippe Coutinho

Kevin Palmer

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has insisted his club ‘do not need to sell’ Philippe Coutinho, even though the player is reported to be eager to seal a move to Barcelona.

Barcelona are believed to have seen two bids for Coutinho turned down in recent days, with the Catalan giants keen to make some statement signings in this transfer window after Neymar left for Paris Saint-Germain in a world record $222m deal.

Coutinho has emerged as one of Barca’s top transfer targets, yet the Liverpool owners from the FSG group released a statement on Friday morning confirming they will not consider any offers for the player in this transfer window.

Now Klopp has backed up those sentiments, as he confirmed Liverpool’s desire to hang on to the player in his pre-match press conference for his side’s Premier League opener against Watford on Saturday.

“When FSG say something like this it’s 100% clear. You can read it,” stated Klopp.

“We want to have the best possible team. This means keeping the guys we have.

“Liverpool is not a club that needs to sell. That is set in stone. So what they pay in the end doesn’t matter. From a financial standpoint, there’s no threshold of pain.”

Klopp’s claim that there is no fee that Liverpool will consider selling Coutinho at suggests the club and their manager will not change their stance and sell the Brazilian in the final days of this summer’s transfer window.

So even if the player in tempted by a move to link up with Lionel Messi and company at the Nou Camp, this transfer story appears to be at an end unless the player makes a firm public statement expressing his desire to leave.

Coutinho will miss Saturday’s Premier League opener against Watford with a back problem and Daniel Sturridge is also out with an injury, but the latter of the two should be available for Liverpool’s crucial Champions League qualifier against Hoffenheim on Tuesday night.