Liverpool Reportedly Overrule Jurgen Klopp, Agree to Philippe Coutinho Transfer

Liverpool will reportedly sell Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona this summer despite manager Jurgen Klopp's determination to keep the Brazilian at Anfield.

According to ESPN Brasil (h/t Coral Barry of Metro), Klopp has made it clear he does not want to lose Coutinho amid strong interest from the Blaugrana. But it's reported Reds brass are ready to buckle if a £90 million bid from Barcelona does come in.

ESPN also reported that a deal for the playmaker may be done in "the coming days or hours" (h/t AS).

That report suggests Barcelona want to have the deal done by Wednesday so Coutinho can feature against Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup first leg on Sunday.

If Liverpool did sell Coutinho, they would be undermining their manager significantly, as he has stated on numerous occasions the No. 10 will not be moving anywhere in this transfer window.

As James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo noted, at the recent Audi Cup, Klopp's stance on the player was clear:

Additionally, as ESPN FC reported, the Liverpool boss advised the Catalan giants to "save their energy" instead of embarking on a futile chase for Coutinho.

Earlier in the summer, Andy Hunter of the Guardian said a Barcelona bid for the former Inter Milan man, worth £72 million, had been rejected.

Francois Mori/Associated Press

Not only would Coutinho's sale leave the manager miffed, but it would also leave a creative void in the Reds side. After all, while the Reds have so many excellent attacking players, it's the midfielder who makes them tick in the final third.

As noted by Squawka Football, since his arrival on Merseyside, Coutinho has been supreme in the Premier League:

Last season, he blossomed on the left side of a front three, with Liverpool tearing apart plenty of sides through Coutinho, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino. But in pre-season, the former has been stationed in the middle of the park and excelled.

With that in mind, Coutinho may not be a direct replacement for Neymar, who recently left Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain in a world-record deal, but Andres Iniesta; the iconic midfielder is still an exceptional player, but at 33, he is entering the twilight of his career.