Jurgen Klopp has issued a reassuring response to Barcelona’s statement-making official approach for Philippe Coutinho, reiterating that the Brazilian is not for sale.
Recent developments have seen Liverpool reject a £72million bid from the Spanish giants for the No.10 and Klopp is standing firm in his stance towards the situation.
“Yes (he is not for sale), but that’s not since this morning or yesterday, it’s not been any different,” the German said in a press conference in Hong Kong, as reported by the Liverpool Echo.
“Phil is a very important player for us. He’s trying to get back his rhythm but there’s no doubt about his quality. He’s very smart both offensively and defensively.”
“The nice news for us is that he’s still young. He has improved a lot since I’ve been here and he can still improve a lot.”
“I’m not surprised that any club is interested in players at Liverpool. The very important message is that we are not a selling club and that’s how it is.”
“We believe in working together and developing together. We want to make the next step together and for this we need to stay together.”
“We have to create a situation where everybody is easily able to see which direction we want to go. It’s really positive. This is a fantastic club and it’s a good moment for Liverpool.”
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Though an opening bid is sure to spark concern amongst fans, it’s worth noting there has been little to suggest Coutinho himself is at all interested in a move to Barcelona at this moment in time.
It seems unlikely he will turn his back on Liverpool at such a crucial stage in his career where he is on the brink of taking his game to a world class level.
The attraction of a move to the Camp Nou is undeniable, but Coutinho’s immediate focus seemingly remains on bringing silverware back to Anfield and making himself a legend on Merseyside.
Reds are yet to see the very best of the little magician and it’s for this reason that the 25-year-old faces his biggest season yet.