Philippe Coutinho wants Barcelona move and ‘willing to take pay cut to force through’ £89m transfer from Liverpool
Reds rejected an opening bid of £72million for their Brazilian star as Jurgen Klopp declared: 'We are not a selling club'
PHILIPPE COUTINHO is said to be willing to take a pay cut to seal a move to Barcelona, it has been claimed.
The Catalan giants are preparing for Neymar's exit, with the Samba star storming out of training this morning.
And Spanish paper Sport report than his Brazil team-mate Coutinho is happy to sign a deal with Barca that would see him bank less that the £150,000 a week he does at Liverpool.
The Spanish giants have warned Philippe Coutinho they will look elsewhere for a replacement if Liverpool refuse to sell him.
Reds rejected an opening bid of £72million for their Brazilian star, with boss Jurgen Klopp declaring: “We are not a selling club.”
But Barca are readying themselves for Neymar’s increasingly likely exit to Paris Saint-Germain — with a whopping £197m heading their way if his contract is bought out.
Borussia Dortmund’s Ousmane Dembele is next on Barcelona’s wish-list if Coutinho, 25, proves elusive.
While he is happy at Anfield, the chance to switch from a club who have appeared in the Champions League just once in the last seven years for one who have lifted the European Cup twice in the same period is too good for Coutinho to ignore.
He has also been courted by Barcelona for over two years.
It is understood Coutinho’s advisors would welcome a move to Spain this summer and have been monitoring Neymar’s situation, knowing Barca would need income from a major sale to finance a move for their client.
LIVERPOOL TRANSFER NEWS
PSG have gone on record with their intention to sign one of “the best players in the world” — and have told Neymar they will pay the full £197m value of his release clause.
With an after-tax salary of over £27m on offer in Paris, Neymar has already verbally agreed to join.
And the Brazilian has told international team-mates of his intentions because he knows he will never be top dog at the Nou Camp as long as Lionel Messi is there.