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Liverpool rubbish Barcelona claims they sold Philippe Coutinho for reduced price
Liverpool have rubbished Barcelona’s claim the Mereyside club sold Philippe Coutinho for a ‘reduced’ fee as the £142 million signing was finally unveiled at the Nou Camp.
Having won the fight for his signature, Barcelona sought to gain another political victory by stating they paid less than they were quoted for the Brazilian last summer.
Liverpool sources familiar with the negotiations are adamant that is not the case because no price was ever proposed by the club’s owners Fenway Sports Group. Barca’s suggestion does not tally with the Merseyside club’s firm position that there was no fee which would have forced the 25-year-old’s sale last summer.
Liverpool would not entertain negotiations with the Catalan club until recently, a position they made clear in a club statement last August and from which they never shifted in the last transfer window.
Negotiations over a fee were only concluded shortly before Coutinho’s exit, with the player himself making a financial contribution of £11.5 million to ensure the valuation was met. However the money was raised, Liverpool’s asking price of 160 million euros was agreed.
That did not prevent Barcelona’s vice-president Jordi Mestre suggesting his club managed to successfully haggle.
“The club has always been interested in signing Coutinho, the difference to last summer is that there was a big cut in price,” Mestre said.
“We won't state the numbers because Liverpool don't want us to, but there was a big price cut.”
Having made the contentious – and in Liverpool’s view inaccurate – remark, Barcelona chose not to elaborate.
Liverpool’s position was consistent, as demonstrated in their statement four months ago.
“The club's definitive stance is that no offers for Philippe will be considered and he will remain a member of Liverpool Football Club when the summer window closes,” it said.
This was reinforced by Klopp at that time.
“From a financial standpoint there is no price limit to let him go. A price at which we are ready to give in,” he said on August 11 last year.
“Our goal is to have the best possible team so we want to keep our guys and add new ones. That is our plan.
“Liverpool is not a club that has to sell players. That is set in stone. So what they pay in the end doesn’t matter.”
Liverpool wanted to stand firm in January, too, but eventually relented under pressure from the player, his representatives, Barcelona and even their sponsors - sportswear giants Nike - who announced the deal prematurely at the start of the month. Nike's promotion of a Coutinho Barcelona jersey was never explained by the company. They also have a deal with the player.
Barcelona’s politicking is in keeping with a familiar trend in Spanish football, where elected board members seek to lobby for popular support when basking in the glow of a transfer coup.
Coutinho said he was fulfilling a dream by moving to the Nou Camp, where he signed a five-and-a-half-year deal, revealing how former Liverpool team mate Luis Suarez was constantly urging him to make the move.
Suarez left Anfield for Barcelona in 2014 for £75 million.
“Luis a great player, I played with him at Liverpool and I am really happy to play with him again,” said Coutinho, who was handed the number 14.
“We've kept in contact. He writes to me a lot, he's a close friend and he's been a big help. It's an honour to play with him again.”
Liverpool offered numerous incentives in an effort to keep Coutinho before allowing him to go.
“The Liverpool directors understood it was my dream, they would have liked me to stay, but my dream to come here and they understood. They were men of their word,” said Coutinho.
It is expected he will be the long-term replacement for Andres Iniesta, who is nearing the end of his Barcelona career.
“Iniesta, for me, is a genius and it will be an honour to play with him and learn from him,” said Coutinho.
"In terms of positions, what I'm most looking forward to is being here and playing for Barca. Everything else is a question for the manager. I will work really hard to be available for him. I am so happy, so are my family. It's the biggest club in the world and some great Brazilian players have played here. I hope to contribute to even more success.”
One conspiracy theory was rubbished by Barcelona when introducing Coutinho. They revealed the thigh injury which kept him out of Liverpool’s last two fixtures will need treatment for a further three weeks.