Liverpool news: Philippe Coutinho was NEVER going to join Barcelona - Christian Purslow

Liverpool rejected three bids from Barcelona in the summer transfer window for Coutinho.

The Brazil international handed in a transfer request in an attempt to force through a move but the Anfield club were not budging.

Purslow says it would have sent out the wrong message if Coutinho was sold less than a year after he signed a new five-year contract at Liverpool.

He believes Coutinho will knuckle down and perform this season ahead of next year’s World Cup in Russia.

“I never thought there was any prospect of Liverpool selling Coutinho this summer,” Purslow said on Sky Sports.

“Coutinho is the star player in a team that is on the up, a team now that is financially now tremendously well run, well capitalised under Fenway ownership, with the new stadium expansion, with a manager who is in the absolute elite top three or four coaches, highly ambitious. 

“It would have sent a terrible signal about the priorities of that club if they sold their star player. 

“I don’t believe they came close to selling him, it was the right decision. 

“I think Coutinho is going to give Liverpool a tremendous year’s service. 

“He wants to be a star of next year’s World Cup, he’s 25 years old, he’s at the peak of his career and I think there is time in the future for Philippe Coutinho to make one more move. 

“It wasn’t this summer.”

Coutinho could make his first Liverpool appearance of the season when they face Pep Guardiola's Manchester City at the Etihad on Saturday (12.30pm).