Liverpool Transfer News: Jurgen Klopp Talks Philippe Coutinho, January Rumours

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has spoken of his “love” for Philippe Coutinho following the little Brazilian’s match-winning performance against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

Coutinho, who has been linked with Barcelona and Real Madrid by Fichajes (via George Bellshaw of Metro), scored two goals in the impressive 3-1 victory over the champions and put on a display that justifies his ties to the European elite.

However, it seems Klopp is determined to keep the 23-year-old at Anfield, lauding his ability to bounce back from a string of poor performances and return to his best, relayed by Dominic King of the Daily Mail:

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He knows the last three games were not perfect but he needs the games. I love this player. Who can’t love Phil Coutinho? I don’t expect all day perfection. I expect you to work and try to get better every day. That is what Phil is doing and what the team is doing.

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Liverpool were the dominant force in Saturday’s clash with Chelsea, yet they needed to come from behind to pick up all three points.

It took a moment of pure brilliance to get the Reds back into the match, as Coutinho cut inside before placing a delicate, left-footed attempt into the far corner to level it up at 1-1 just before half-time.

Matt Dunham/Associated Press

Yet Klopp said that wasn’t a fluke from the player, who didn’t enjoy the best of Octobers, as he’s been working incredibly hard on his game.

“Sometimes you have to work really, really hard to make football look easy," the German said. "That is what he did. It was not a perfect start for Phil. But he came back and he was cool enough in the right moment, to shoot at the right moment. That is his quality of course.”

Martin Skrtel added that Coutinho’s quality shone through when his side really needed it, per Liverpool’s official Twitter page:

It’ll be far from a surprise to see transfer interest in the Brazilian rise as we edge closer to January, especially if he kicks on from his Stamford Bridge performance.

Former Reds midfielder Jamie Redknapp wrote in his column for the Daily Mail that staying with Liverpool is sensible for Coutinho, as Klopp can get the best out of him—as the German manager did at Borussia Dortmund with Mario Gotze:

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There aren’t many Liverpool players the top clubs in Europe would want but Coutinho is one of them. He is a fantastic little player. People talk about Klopp replicating his Borussia Dortmund style at Liverpool but it will never be exactly the same. He nurtured some real stars in Germany but still had a good blend. Some players pressed hard while others were more about end product.

I don’t remember Mario Gotze having to do too much chasing at Dortmund. He was allowed to do what he does best—scoring and assisting. Under Klopp he had similar stats to Coutinho and there’s no reason why the Brazilian can’t keep playing that role for Liverpool.

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Even so, if the Reds fail to qualify for next season’s Champions League, the temptation would be there for Coutinho to jump ship—he’s simply too good not to be playing in Europe’s elite competition.

With that in mind, many fans will be calling for Klopp to make some high-profile signings in the January transfer window to push toward the top four.

The German, though, has other ideas, revealing his policy is to work hard and improve every individual player:

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I don’t read newspapers but everyone tells me 'you want to buy this player, this player, this player.' But development is to work with the players you have. It’s like if you have a problem with your wife, you don’t want to change every day! You just work and work and get better. You don’t think about the summer of 2016. I don’t know what will be there. We have to try to get closer and see what we can achieve. We have to improve everything and then we can talk about where we will be in the table. But, for now, we cannot talk.

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The expectation on Klopp’s shoulders is nothing short of monumental, but Liverpool’s victory at the Bridge could well represent the start of something special.

Sure, Chelsea aren’t at their best, but they didn’t get a sniff against a disciplined yet exciting Liverpool side.

That combination is a recipe for success, and if Coutinho can continue to fire on all cylinders, the top four will be the minimum expectation for the Reds.