- Liverpool have been warned about selling Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona
- Gary Neville believes it would be ‘madness’ for the Reds to lose him now
- Various reports suggest a deal may be close for Coutinho to leave
- READ MORE: Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah is the worst player in the Premier League in surprise area
Liverpool have been warned by Manchester United legend Gary Neville about the ‘huge’ risk of selling Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona in the middle of the season.
The Brazil international was targeted by Barca in the summer, with BBC Sport reporting at the time that the Reds turned down as many as three bids for their star player.
However, BBC Sport now claim that Liverpool are braced for an offer for Coutinho again, though Neville believes they must be strong and ensure he leaves on their terms.
The 25-year-old has been a crucial member of this Liverpool side since he joined in 2013 and former United defender Neville believes losing him now could derail their season in a major way.
‘To have turned down a bid in the summer and then lose him (Coutinho) now would be madness,’ Neville wrote in his column for Sky Sports.
MORE: Liverpool transfer news
‘You’re always likely to lose a player when Barcelona or Real Madrid come calling. There’s an inevitability of him leaving but they need to say ‘give us time’.
‘To lose him now could have a terrible impact on their season. Liverpool are too big a football club to let one player mess them around.
‘To be fair, I wouldn’t say they won’t make the top four if he goes, but the impact off the pitch and in the dressing room – along with a loss of skill on the pitch – will be huge.
‘There’s also their troubles with breaking down deep-lying defences, which was clear when you looked at the Everton game when they left him on the bench.’