Liverpool have again underlined their determination to keep Philippe Coutinho by rejecting a deal worth up to €130m (£119m) from Barcelona for the unsettled Brazil international. The Spanish giants made an anticipated third bid on Friday having been encouraged by the transfer request the 25-year-old emailed to Liverpool’s sporting director, Michael Edwards, one week ago. Transfer window 2017 – every deal in Europe's top five leagues Read moreCoutinho’s transfer request followed a statement from Liverpool’s owners, Fenway Sports Group, that declared the playmaker would be staying at Anfield beyond this transfer window. As was the case with Coutinho’s transfer request, Barcelona’s initial offer of £72m and their second bid of £90m, Liverpool responded to Friday’s approach with another instant rejection. The expectation at Liverpool is that, as with Luis Suárez in 2013, Coutinho will react professionally to their refusal to sell once the transfer window has closed.

Source: The Guardian August 18, 2017 14:54 UTC