Barcelona Reportedly Set to Offer Liverpool £140M for Philippe Coutinho

Barcelona are reportedly set to offer £140 million for Liverpool's Philippe Coutinho, though the success of their bid may come down to the structure of the deal. 

According to the Mirror's David Maddock, the Reds want Barcelona to offer at least £120 million of the fee up front, unlike their bids in the summer, which comprised an £82 million initial fee and a number of "increasingly unrealistic add-ons."

Maddock noted the Catalan giants have quietly held talks with the Merseyside outfit through intermediaries to "open a negotiating process that has avoided the bullying and bluster of last summer," an approach that seems to have paid off, with the Reds potentially set to let him move on.

The Guardian's Andy Hunter also reported on the £140 million offer, though he wrote Liverpool will hope for an even bigger initial fee of around £133 million, while The Times' Paul Joyce said a move is "imminent" after Coutinho "rejected Liverpool's last-ditch attempts to keep him at Anfield."

Miguel Delaney of The Independent similarly reported Barcelona anticipate the deal will be done prior to Liverpool's clash with Manchester City on January 14:

Hunter further noted the contrast in the Reds' silent response to recent speculation over the Brazilian's future compared with their approach in the summer, which was to make it clear he was not for sale.

Football writer Leanne Prescott believes Coutinho may be on the move this winter:

After being so against his sale in the summer, it would seem strange to part with him midway through the season when a replacement could be difficult to line up before the transfer window shuts on January 31.

The club is through to the knockout phase of the UEFA Champions League for the first time since 2009, and they are among the five Premier League teams fighting for the three places in next year's competition behind Manchester City, who look set to wrap up the Premier League title.

Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher believes in light of that, the club must wait until the summer to allow Coutinho to leave: 

Mohamed Salah's capture in the summer and his stellar form alongside Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino ensures the Reds still have plenty of attacking talent to work with if the Brazilian were to leave.

However, the Reds would still be losing their most creative outlet, and while bringing in a suitable replacement at short notice is doable, it's far from guaranteed.

Liverpool must take care to ensure they make the right decisions to ensure a strong second half to their campaign.