Football transfer news

Dejan Lovren believes the value of Liverpool team-mate Philippe Coutinho can only be determined when compared to Neymar’s record-breaking transfer fee.

The Reds continue to fend off interest in their Brazilian forward, with Barcelona having seen two bids knocked back – the second totalling £90 million.

Firmino enhanced to 7/1 to score v Hoffenheim

Liverpool are understandably reluctant to sell and will not be pressured into a deal despite the furore surrounding Coutinho’s future or his tabling of a transfer request.

It remains to be seen what the next move will be by both sides, but Lovren feels any asking price has been driven up following Paris Saint-Germain’s €222m acquisition of Neymar.

He told Sportske Novosti, using the inflated market for defenders this summer as another example – with Manchester City having spent £50m on Kyle Walker: “When I came to Liverpool, in a 20 million Euro transfer, I was expensive. And now defenders cost 40, 50, 60 million.

Firmino: Coutinho exit would be awful

“Times change and if Neymar costs more than 200 million, you will not sell Coutinho for 50, that is how the market works.”

While fully aware of the speculation following Coutinho around at present, Lovren insists the subject of his future has not been discussed at length by those alongside him in Jurgen Klopp’s squad.

The Croatia international added ahead of a Champions League play-off clash with Hoffenheim on Tuesday: “I can’t say much about Coutinho as us players don’t discuss that among each other.

Klopp has no say in Coutinho saga

“The club will decide but of course we would miss him because he is great player, hard to replace.

“He and [Adam] Lallana will be hugely missed in the Hoffenheim game.”

Coutinho has not been included in Liverpool’s squad for their first European outing of the season, while Lallana is nursing a thigh injury which is set to keep him sidelined for the next couple of months.

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Jurgen Klopp said Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group have the final say on Philippe Coutinho’s future at Anfield as Barcelona push to sign the Brazilian.

Coutinho is believed to have handed in a transfer request on Friday, amid growing links with La Liga giants Barca, who are looking to fill the void left by Neymar.

Firmino enhanced to 13/2 to score v Hoffenheim

The Brazil international’s request came just hours after Liverpool insisted they will not entertain any offers for the 25-year-old.

Coutinho, who missed Saturday’s season-opening 3-3 draw at Watford in the Premier League, will sit out the first leg of Liverpool’s Champions League play-off against Hoffenheim on Tuesday due to a back problem.

As doubts remain over Coutinho, Liverpool manager Klopp admitted his hands are tied.

“If, for example, there is an offer for a player and I say, ‘No’, and the owners say, ‘Yes, let’s ask for a number on how much they want to pay’. And I say, ‘I don’t want to hear it’. But they say, ‘We want to hear it, £50million … £50 million is cool,'” Klopp said. “So then they sell the player — that is how a club works.

Klopp: No change in Coutinho situation

“That is how it was with Hans-Joachim Watzke [chief executive] at Dortmund. Do you think I said, ‘Sell Nuri Sahin to Real Madrid as quick as possible?’ It was not my decision. The player had a contract. They agreed. I am 100 per cent, really, 100 per cent [when I say] I don’t ask for things I can’t get and I respect the rules in the game.

“If they [FSG] say they [Barcelona] will bid whatever and we don’t want it then it is a clear message. We don’t want money, we want to invest in the team and have the best team because we have aims and dreams. That is the message.

“It’s not important what I think. I have the player from August 31 latest, again, or when the back issue is sorted,” Klopp added. “There is nothing else I can say about it. I think I said, ‘I have bosses’, right? I have many bosses, including my wife. I can live with this, it’s no problem. They [the owners] are 100 per cent clear on it. There is nothing else to say.”

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