Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona: Liverpool agree £148million deal with Barca for Brazil ace as Reds step up chase for Arsenal’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
Reports suggest Reds owners Fenway Sports Group have agreed the fee but want to wait to complete the deal while they find replacements
LIVERPOOL have agreed to sell Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona in a £148million deal, according to reports.
The Brazilian winger has been pushing for a move to the Nou Camp after being lined up by the La Liga club as a replacement for Neymar.
And Yahoo Sport are now claiming that Coutinho, 25, has been told on international duty that Reds owners Fenway Sports Group have finally accepted his request to leave.
The report suggests the Merseyside club have asked Barca to delay announcing the deal to allow them to secure a replacement.
But reports from Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo claim a deal is still far from close and Barcelona could give up.
It is claimed the Anfield club remain unresponsive to Barca's offers and could now look elsewhere.
If a deal is sealed it could see Liverpool make another bid for Monaco midfielder Thomas Lemar after having two bids rejected.
And wantaway Arsenal star Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain could also be on the move to join Jurgen Klopp's squad.
Liverpool transfer news
Liverpool have already agreed a £48m deal for RB Leipzig midfielder Naby Keita, who will spend the rest of the season on loan at the German club before moving to Anfield.
Coutinho has not played for Liverpool since August and missed training with an injury before illness saw him ruled out for the club.
But he was declared as fit and in "perfect condition to play" after linking up with the Samba Boys in South America.
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The report continues to say that Reds chiefs hope some big name replacements for Coutinho will help appease fans over the sale of who many people say is their star man.
Oxlade-Chamberlain looks like the most likely to join after reportedly snubbing a move to Chelsea.
But Yahoo Sport also claim Monaco are willing to flog France international Lemar for the right price.
Virgil van Dijk — who handed in a transfer request to Southampton — is still being linked with a move to the North West.