Hands off Coutinho, Klopp warns Barca

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp on Friday brushed off a reported $93 million offer from Barcelona for Brazilian playmaker Philippe Coutinho, insisting: “We’re not a selling club.”

“We want to work together and we want to make the next step, and to do this we need to stay together,” the German told reporters before his side face Leicester City in the final of the Premier League Asia Trophy in Hong Kong on Saturday.

“The very important message is that we are not a selling club,” added Klopp.

As Barcelona circle for Coutinho, Liverpool midfielder Adam Lallana backed the mercurial Brazilian to help lead the Reds to success in the new season.

“He’s a fantastic player so it’s no surprise that there’s teams interested in him,” said Lallana.

“I feel like we’re going to achieve big things here and I feel like Phil is going to be a big part of that.

“He’s in that elite bracket and there is no reason he can’t continue to be in that elite bracket and continue here at Liverpool,” added Lallana.

“We’re a massive club. We’re in the Champions League – okay we need to qualify – but if we are going to win competitions like that, and the Premier League, we need to keep hold of players like Philippe.”