Philippe Coutinho's Agent Reportedly Meets Barcelona Amid Liverpool Exit Rumours

Barcelona have reportedly held talks with the agent for Liverpool midfielder Philippe Coutinho over a possible transfer at the end of the season. 

According to Sport (h/t Uche Amako of the Daily Express), the Blaugrana have spoken with Kia Joorabchian to discuss the terms behind a potential switch.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is said to be reluctant to sell the player, although it's suggested the Reds may cash in if they receive an offer of around £65 million, the same fee paid by Barcelona to bring in Luis Suarez from Anfield in 2014.

Here's how the story was covered, per FC Barcelona Fl:

Barcelona are said to be considering a full overhaul of their squad this summer, having failed to live up to the immaculate standards they've set in recent seasons, and Coutinho has frequently been linked with a move to the Camp Nou.

It's suggested by Ivan San Antonio of Sport that Barcelona consider the signing of Coutinho as a "necessity" because of his versatility and the club's confidence he would take to life in Catalonia.

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It's easy to see why Barcelona would reportedly be willing to part with the kind of money aforementioned to land the player.

If you were concocting a quintessential Blaugrana player, he'd be pretty close to Coutinho. The Liverpool man is naturally gifted, is a wonderful technician and is also capable of conjuring moments that will bring supporters to their feet.

As these statistics from Squawka Football prove, the Liverpool No. 10 is dangerous in many different areas of the pitch:

Coutinho has been operating on the left side of a front three for the Reds for much of this season. But with Neymar doing a fine job in that berth at the Camp Nou, his compatriot would most likely have to change roles if he was to make the switch.

Indeed, Coutinho would potentially be an ideal long-term replacement for Andres Iniesta. While there are differences to their respective styles, there are striking similarities, too; like the Barcelona man, the Liverpool star can take the ball in tight spaces, surge through gaps in the opposition defence and link play in the final third.

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What Coutinho needs to do to scale those heights is add consistency to his game. Football journalist Kristan Heneage feels as though he's beginning to do so:

Still, getting him to Barcelona will be a challenge, especially as the Reds agreed a new contract with the Brazilian until 2022 earlier this year. While Liverpool have made major progress under Klopp, losing a player of his pedigree would be a major setback.

Barcelona are a tempting proposition for any player—which attacker wouldn't want to link up with Neymar, Suarez and Lionel Messi? But the Blaugrana would surely have to part with a huge sum of money for the Premier League side to entertain the prospect of any sale.