Liverpool Reportedly Set Philippe Coutinho Fee at €150M to Scare Off Barcelona

Liverpool have reportedly placed a €150 million (£134 million) price tag on playmaker Philippe Coutinho in a bid to scare off suitors Barcelona. 

According to Joaquim Piera of Sport, Paris Saint-Germain are also interested in the Brazilian forward but Liverpool are looking to prevent either club from swooping for their star player with their astronomical asking price.

Piera added that Coutinho himself "is keen to play for Barca" but that the Catalans are not willing to pay over €80 million (£71 million) for him, a fee they believe more accurately represents a fair price. 

Sky Sports News' Kaveh Solhekol recently reported Coutinho's potential move to Barca could depend on whether Neymar is sold:

The Blaugrana would have the money to meet Liverpool's asking price should they sell Neymar, as the Brazilian star could join PSG for £196 million, per Sami Mokbel in the Daily Mail.

However, Neymar is also the Barca player who has been most vocal about wanting his compatriot Coutinho at the Camp Nou, per Mundo Deportivo (via Alex Richards in the Mirror).

Should Neymar leave Barca, Coutinho may be less inclined to move to Barcelona.

There seems to be a stalemate, as Liverpool will not let Coutinho go for anything less than they think he is worth.

And they don't need to because he has a contract at Anfield until 2022, which was only signed in January.