The Kop are said to be working on plans to replace the brilliant Brazilian after their owners indicated to Barcelona that €160m (£148m) would be enough to get a deal done.
Fenway Sports Group, who own Liverpool, have rejected three offers worth up to £118m for Coutinho so far. But top-secret meetings which took place on Friday and Saturday appear to have sealed the forward’s dream move to Catalonia. And Barcelona are ready to pay the Kop’s massive asking price.
Spanish paper Sport claim a deal is now all-but done – but hinges on whether Liverpool can sign Renato Sanches from Bayern Munich before Thursday’s transfer deadline. Sanches has asked not to be included in matchday squads for the Bundesliga giants with Kop talks reportedly at an advanced stage.
Once Liverpool have Sanches’ signature the Coutinho transfer will be given the green light and he will become the world’s second-most expensive player.
Yesterday Barca sporting director Robert Fernandez confirmed talks were ongoing. Speaking to BeIN Sports, Fernandez said: “Coutinho?” We are continuing the negotiations.
“We do not want and we do not have the right to say what we are doing.But Barca sporting director Robert Fernandez says talks are ongoing over a fee for the player.
