In what is fast becoming a daily feature in the sports press, Liverpool continue to stand firm in the face of increased speculation about Philippe Coutinho’s future.
There’s no doubt that Barcelona want the Brazilian playmaker, but the Reds insist he is going nowhere. He has just recently signed a new five-year contract with no release clause, so the club need to hold strong and refuse to cave in to what is likely to be a £100m+ offer.
As was discussed on The Anfield Wrap this week, Barcelona have had the opportunity to open negotiations before Coutinho signed his new contract in January, but didn’t. Also, the player has not spoken out about being unhappy or wanting a move to the Nou Camp. He has remained tight-lipped about it all.
It is a lot more likely that Barcelona will come back at the end of next season with a stronger offer, allowing Liverpool to seek a replacement in their own time, much as they did when Luis Suarez made the switch back in 2014.
Speculation has now increased following revelations that Coutinho has missed training with a back injury but, at the end of the day, its quite likely he has a back injury and needs to rest ahead of Saturday’s Premier League opener at Watford.