Liverpool stars not for sale, warns Klopp
Barca linked with £70m swoop for Coutinho
>> HONG KONG: Juergen Klopp has declared Liverpool will not part with their best players as speculation continues over the future of midfielder Philippe Coutinho amid a proposed move to Barcelona.
The Spanish side are believed to have made a £70 million (US$91 million) bid to sign the Brazilian this summer, but the German manager stressed none of his squad were for sale.
“I’m not surprised but it’s not a compliment,” he said of interest in one of his key players.
“It’s not that I need it but a few people obviously see that Liverpool have a few good players. So, that’s how it is.
“But, a very important message — maybe we’re not a selling club. That’s how it is.
“We believe in working together, we believe in development together, we believe in using the basis that we want to work together, we want to make the next step together and for this we need to stay together.”
Coutinho was a standout performer for Liverpool last season as Klopp’s team put in a strong challenge for the Premier League title before eventually slipping to fourth and securing a place in the qualification rounds of the Uefa Champions League.
Klopp, however, is hoping for more from the 25-year-old as Liverpool chase a first league title since 1990.
“Phil is a very, very important player but we need to react better when he’s not on the pitch,” said Klopp.
“There were a few games when he was out and when he came back and he was not in the best shape and he tried to get back his rhythm.
“Phil, when he’s able to run properly then you want to have him on the pitch again. We have to be better in moments like this.
“Phil can improve, he has inconsistency, but there’s no doubting his qualities.”
Teammate Adam Lallana is confident Coutinho will stay at Anfield as the club prepare to take part in the Champions League qualifying rounds next month.
“Off the back of his season, he’s a fantastic player so there’s no surprise that there are teams interested in him,” said Lallana.
“There are probably teams interested in other players in our squad. I think we’re going to achieve big things and I’m sure Phil will be part of that.
“We’re a massive club, we’re in the Champions League — OK, we need to qualify — but if we’re going to win competitions like that and the Premier League we need to keep hold of players like Philippe.”
KOLAROV SET FOR ROMA
Manchester City defender Aleksandar Kolarov is set to leave the Premier League club after seven years to join AS Roma in Italy, manager Pep Guardiola said.
Kolarov, 31, played for Italy’s Lazio from 2007-10 before moving to City, where he won two league and one FA Cup titles.
Guardiola believes the Serbia international’s return to Rome was the best decision for all parties.
“Kola helped me a lot last season in terms of many, many things,” Guardiola said after his team’s 2-0 pre-season loss to Manchester United.
“But he had a big chance to go back to Rome where he was before and he spoke to me, the club and asked me to leave.
“I don’t like to stay with players who don’t want to stay. That’s why it’s the best option for everybody.
“I wish him all the best because he’s a really nice guy. We had an excellent relationship. I was very pleased to train him and I wish him and his family the best.”
City are short of defensive options after releasing Pablo Zabaleta, Gael Clichy and Bacary Sagna in May and failing to find adequate reinforcements, forcing Guardiola to use midfielder Fernandinho as a full-back during Thursday’s game.
“We don’t have another option, we don’t have full-backs,” Guardiola told the post-match news conference.
“We try to buy full-backs on the right side, not just Kyle [Walker] because the other three full-backs we didn’t extend the contracts.
“Kolarov is one step to go to Roma. That’s why we don’t have any other options.”