SAN FRANCISCO, August 18, (THEWILL) – Liverpool have rejected a third bid from Barcelona for star playmaker Philippe Coutinho.
British media reports that Barcelona’s latest bid was worth around £114 million which is a significant increase on their previous offer of £90 million.
Liverpool have publicly stated that Coutinho is not for sale at any price and consider the figures being offered by Barcelona irrelevant.
Coutinho, currently side-lined due to a back injury, joined Liverpool from Inter Milan in an £8.5 million move in January 2013 and is the key creative figure in Jurgen Klopp’s team, scoring 14 goals in all competitions last season.
However, the 25-year-old Brazilian, who signed a new five-year contract with Liverpool in January, has submitted a transfer request.
Barcelona have targeted Coutinho and Borussia Dortmund winger Ousmane Dembele to plug the gap created by Neymar’s world-record move to Paris Saint-Germain.
Meanwhile, Dembele, 20, has been suspended by Dortmund after going on strike in a bid to forcefully make the move successful.