Liverpool are ready to negotiate…
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has his eye on one of three Barcelona players if he is to agree to sell Philippe Coutinho to the Catalan giants in the January transfer window.
According to Don Balon, the Reds are braced for Barca to try again for Coutinho, and will use it as an opportunity to try to strengthen in midfield themselves.
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Liverpool transfer news
Liverpool don’t look in the best shape right now after another crushing defeat at the weekend, with a more defensive-minded midfield player perhaps ideal to offer more protection to the Reds’ unconvincing back four.
While Coutinho is a key player in Klopp’s attack, it could be argued that that area of the pitch is not a priority for the club at the moment, with the likes of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane all shining in the Brazilian’s absence earlier in the season.
Don Balon suggest Liverpool are now more open to negotiating the sale of Coutinho, and that a player in return could see them lower their £133million asking price for the 25-year-old.
Who could replace Coutinho at Liverpool?
The report states that Klopp would be keen to land one of Ivan Rakitic, Andre Gomes or Carles Alena from Los Cules if they come calling for Coutinho again in the winter.
Rakitic could be a particularly fine purchase after his influential displays for Barca down the years, and he’d bring maturity and experience as well as composure to the club’s midfield this season.
Still, it remains to be seen if Ernesto Valverde will be happy about losing key members of his squad in the middle of the season, particularly as Coutinho, their prospective replacement, is set to be cup-tied in the Champions League.