Liverpool faces some pressure from star midfielder Philippe Coutinho as he seeks permission to leave the club next summer to make his dream move to Barcelona a reality.
Coutinho demanding Anfield exit
Coutinho was in centre spotlight during the summer's transfer window as he looked to exit the club with Barcelona desperately seeking out a replacement for Neymar - following his record-breaking move to PSG. However, Liverpool owners and boss Jurgen Klopp stood firm on the situation and deflected offers from La Liga side.
Now, according to the Mirror, Coutinho is demanding assurances that he will be allowed to leave Liverpool after the season concludes.
Liverpool stand firm
The Brazilian clearly topped the transfer list of Barcelona and was the subject of three separate bids from the club - the highest offer reaching £114m but the Reds rejected each and every bid without a second thought.
Barcelona - from the Catalonia region of Spain - are expected to return with improved offers for Coutinho when the January window opens but Coutinho is happy to complete the season with Liverpool but hopes to join the Catalans in the summer.
If a compromise is met and Liverpool do allow Coutinho to leave next summer, the silver lining is that the club will have a suitable amount of time to find a replacement for the midfielder and also the funds to bring in a top player.
The talent of Coutinho
The 25-year-old signed for Liverpool from Inter Milan back in 2013 for a small fee of £8.5m but since then has gone on to improve and become one of the most talented midfielders in the world football today - he has an outstanding ability on the field - he can control a game with the ball at his feet and his talent over a set-piece is arguably one of the best in the world.
Liverpool do not need to sell
Coutinho is currently contracted with Liverpool until 2022 and without a release clause, Liverpool are not in a position where they have to sell - so the ball is completely in Liverpool's court and they will seemingly only sell if the price is right and it benefits the club as a whole.
The worry for Liverpool fans is that Coutinho no longer wants to be a part of the club and his performances could reflect that.
At the start of the Premier League season, amid the transfer saga, Coutinho seemed reluctant to play for the Reds as he was sidelined due to a back injury. However, a couple of weeks into the season Coutinho returned to full fitness and his performances on the pitch showed little evidence that he was even thinking of leaving.
