Liverpool transfer news: Philippe Coutinho cash will drive up prices, says McManaman

Barca are desperate to land the Brazil superstar but have seen to bids worth £72m and £90m knocked back by the Reds.

Liverpool don’t want to sell despite Coutinho slapping down a transfer request.

It’s been suggested any cash received from Barcelona could be used on adding quality to Jurgen Klopp’s squad.

But McManaman says it won’t be that easy, with fees for Liverpool’s targets spiralling due to the club’s bulging coffers.

“People keep saying ‘oh they’ll get £100m, just go and spend it on three players’,” he said on BT Sport.

“Every time Liverpool try to spend that Coutinho money, a £30m player becomes worth £60m because Liverpool have got a huge amount of money burning a hole in their pocket.”

Dean Saunders thinks the writing is the wall and Coutinho is as good as gone.

“As soon as the phone call came in from Barcelona I thought ‘he’s gone’,” the fellow BT pundit added.

Liverpool transfer news: Philippe Coutinho could join Barcelona by August 31

“It’s very difficult to stop a player.

“There’s probably only two clubs he’s leave Liverpool for - Barcelona and Real Madrid.

“One of them’s come knocking and I think the minute that call happened, he’s gone.”