Now Reds reject Barca’s £114m bid for Coutinho
LIVERPOOL have rejected a huge £114million bid from Barcelona for midfielder Philippe Coutinho. The offer for the Brazilian playmaker included a further £5m in add-ons which was instantly rejected by the Anfield club. Jurgen Klopp’s side are refusing to budge, despite the 25-year-old formally submitting a transfer request last week, after seeing the bidding rise from £72m to £90m and now move past the £100m mark. Their stance is that Coutinho will remain a Liverpool player this season, having only agreed a new five-year deal worth more then £200,000 a week last January. But Barcelona, who claimed this week that a deal for Coutinho was close, are increasingly desperate to land the Brazilian after selling Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain for a world-record fee of £198m. Barcelona were also crushed 5-1 on aggregate by bitter rivals Real Madrid over the two legs of the clubs’ Spanish Super Cup final last week. Coutinho has yet to play for Liverpool this season after suffering a back injury. The 25-year-old missed their opening Premier League game at Watford and Tuesday’s 2-1 Champions League play-off win against Hoffenheim. He is also expected to be absent for today’s clash at home to Crystal Palace. Liverpool could hand a debut to Scotland left back Andrew Robertson, an £8m signing from Hull City. ‘He is a really good player,’ Klopp said of Robertson, who is yet to feature. ‘But it is how it is with specialist left full backs, it is difficult — you play or it is possible you are not in the squad. He came in late and he has to adapt to our style of play. If you work hard, everything will be good at the end.’ Liverpool host Hoffenheim in the return leg on Wednesday. A draw will be enough to see them through to the Champions League group stage.