Liverpool round-up: £108m Coutinho deal agreed; club stand firm; West Ham fight off interest

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ESPN have sensationally claimed that Liverpool have struck a deal for Philippe Coutinho with Barcelona which could net them an initial €90 million (£81.6 million), with add-ons that could see the total fee rise to a huge €120 million (£108.8 million). The deal could be announced imminently.

Speculation has been ongoing for weeks now it would not be a surprise if the Reds were to decide to cash in on such a huge offer. With it so close to the start of the season though, it would prove a huge disruption to Jurgen Klopp’s plans for the 2017/18 campaign.

That may be why the Telegraph say that the Reds are still insistent that their number 10 will not be sold. They report that the Merseyside club have no intention of cashing in on the attacking midfielder regardless of the offer on the table from Catalonia, with Barcelona being funded by the £200 million received for Neymar.

Coutinho is clearly a key part of plans for the upcoming season. With Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah ready to line up on the wings, Klopp is expected to pick the Brazilian as a central attacking midfielder in order to unleash his vision and passing from a deeper role.

If he is sold, one target could be West Ham midfielder Manuel Lanzini. The Express indicate that the Hammers are set to offer the Argentinean a new deal at the London Stadium in order to ward off interest from Liverpool in his services. The offer will make him one of the club’s top earners on £80,000 per week.

Lanzini has stepped up to fill the shoes of Dimitri Payet since he left for France and has become a star for Slaven Bilic. Whether he would come onto Liverpool’s radar or not is unclear, but West Ham are not prepared to risk losing their prized asset.