HIS HANDS’

Coutinho’s future lies with Liverpool owners, says Reds manager

WATFORD

JURGEN Klopp insists Philippe Coutinho’s Liverpool future will be determined by the club’s owners as Barcelona bid to land the wantaway Brazil star.

Coutinho is keen to join Barcelona and the Reds forward submitted a transfer request 24 hours before Liverpool opened their Premier League campaign with a 3-3 draw at Watford on Saturday.

The 25-year-old, who missed the trip to Vicarage Road with a back problem, is Barcelona’s top target to replace Neymar following the Brazilian’s world record switch to Paris Saint Germain.

Barca had a £90 million (RM500 million) bid for Coutinho rejected last week, prompting the player’s decision to demand a move.

But Liverpool’s US-based owners, Fenway Sports Group, insisted in a statement on Friday that Coutinho will not be allowed to leave Anfield at any price.

Quizzed about the situation following the Watford match, Reds boss Klopp maintained Coutinho’s future is out of his hands.

“As a manager of a football club I have bosses, and if bosses decide, for example, we sell a player or we don’t sell him, then I have to accept it.