REDS SHOW THEIR CLAUSE
Liverpool set £89m surcharge to stop Barca raiding Anfield again
LIVERPOOL have blocked Barcelona from raiding Anfield for top talent such as Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk in a bizarre deal.
The Spanish giants can only sign one of the Reds’ stars if they pay an extra £89million (100m euros) on top of any transfer fee until 2020.
It has emerged Liverpool inserted the clause when they sanctioned the £142m sale of Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona in January.
That means it could cost Barcelona more than £200m if they were to swoop for the likes of Salah or Van Dijk.
Sadio Mane has also been linked with a move to Spain but it appears none of Coutinho’s former team-mates will be following him to the Nou Camp any time soon. Barcelona previously signed Luis Suarez from the Merseysiders. The
Reds reluctantly
allowed Brazil ace Coutinho to leave but were angered by the Catalan side’s pursuit.
The previous summer they warned Barcelona not to make any more approaches for him or they would be reported to FIFA.
However, in January Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp granted Coutinho’s wish to move to Barcelona – but only if the Anfield club’s terms were met.
Liverpool sporting director Michael Edwards negotiated a clause to prevent Barcelona returning for any more of their best players in the next two years.
The La Liga champions would have to pay an extra £89m on top of any transfer fee if they did try to lure a Liverpool star away.
Barcelona were agitated by Edwards’ insistence on the clause being inserted but were forced to agree to it, such was their determination to land Coutinho.