Liverpool boss, Jurgen Klopp has declared emphatically that Phillippe Coutinho who is being seen as a replacement to Neymar at Barcelona will not be sold this summer.
PSG are also reportedly interested in Coutinho but fear the Brazilian fancies a move to the Nou Camp.
Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has told the club’s fans that European giants are “looking for alternatives” following Neymar's £198million move to Paris.
He said: “We thought there was a chance that Neymar could go and for that reason we raised his buy-out clause.
"Now we are looking for alternatives and whatever happened here it is in the end good for Barca because if he stayed then we have a great player and if he goes then we bring in a lot of money.
"The [£198million] we will spend sensibly, strictly and wisely. It will be used to improve the club and with this it means that we are in a great position to sign players.”
Klopp has maintained all summer that Coutinho is not leaving Anfield and that the Reds are no longer a selling club.
The German has the full backing of the Anfield board and the club’s owners, the Fenway Sports Group, who do not even want to negotiate.
As such, Liverpool are not for turning despite leaks to the Spanish media suggesting they are open to doing a deal.
Klopp held talks in Asia with Coutinho after Barca had a £72million bid rejected for the 25-year-old. It was then that the former Dortmund boss set out his position to his playmaker.
Coutinho signed a new five-year deal at Liverpool in January and is seen as vital to the club’s potential title challenge this season.
Kop legend, Michael Owen said last week that he does not see Coutinho leaving Anfield this summer, since the Brazilian is said to be happy in England.
Klopp believes that it is vitally important for Liverpool to show that they are no longer willing to surrender their top stars as they did with Fernando Torres and Luis Suarez.
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