Jurgen Klopp explains why Liverpool had to sell Philippe Coutinho to BarcelonaReds boss says club did everything it could to convince Brazilian star to stay
Jurgen Klopp insists Liverpool did everything they could to convince Philippe Coutinho to stay at Liverpool - and has every faith that club's "aggressive progression" will continue without the Brazilian.Coutinho will seal a £142m switch to Barcelona this weekend after the La Liga giants agreed a fee with the Reds for their star midfielder.
Liverpool will get £105m up front with the rest payable in performance-related add-ons. The move comes after Coutinho made it clear he had no desire to remain on Merseyside amid Barcelona's interest.
Explaining the move, Klopp said: “It is with great reluctance that we – as a team and club – prepare to say farewell to a good friend, a wonderful person and a fantastic player in Philippe Coutinho.
“It is no secret that Philippe has wanted this move to happen since July, when Barcelona first made their interest known.“Philippe was insistent with me, the owners and even his teammates this was a move he was desperate to make happen.
“Despite that, we managed to keep the player here beyond the summer window, hoping that we would be able to persuade him to stay and be part of what we are looking to do.
“I can tell the Liverpool supporters that we, as a club, have done everything within our means to convince Philippe that remaining part of LFC was as attractive as moving to Spain, but he is 100 per cent certain his future – and that of his family – belongs at Barcelona. It is his dream and I am now convinced there is nothing left at our disposal to change his mind."
Klopp praised Coutinho's "professionalism" after his attempts to leave the club in the summer failed. The 25-year-old has been in fine form for the Reds this season, scoring 12 goals, and leaves after 201 appearances in five years on Merseyside.
“Philippe has made a fantastic contribution to this club over his five years of service and as disappointed as we are he doesn’t want to extend that, the relationship we have for him means with a heavy heart we wish him well," Klopp said.
“The player remained dedicated and committed to helping us win matches, producing good performances and training hard each day at Melwood after the summer window had closed, despite failing to convince us to allow him to leave during that period and that level of professionalism reflects positively on him.
“Of course, it is totally understandable that supporters will be disappointed; this is always the case when you have to say goodbye to someone special. But, as hard as it is sometimes to accept, it is part of life and part of football – individuals have their own dreams and their own goals and objectives in life.
“Players will come and players will go, that is football, but as a club we are big enough and strong enough to continue with our aggressive progression on the pitch, even when we lose an important player. We have never been in a better position in recent times, as a club, to react in the right way. We will use our size and strength to absorb moments like this and still move forward."In the meantime, the Reds must now decide how best to proceed in finding a replacement for Coutinho.
Naby Keita is due to arrive at the end of the season, while there is interest in Monaco star Thomas Lemar. Klopp, though, insisted he retains belief in the players he already has at his disposal.
He said: “I have been here long enough now to know in the history of Liverpool, key players have left before – but the club always goes on. You cannot transfer the heart and soul of Liverpool Football Club, although I am sure there are many clubs who would like to buy it.
“I have so much belief in the talent we have here already and even more faith, together with our owners, that we will make continued investment into the playing squad, which will allow more growth and more improvement.
“So as we bid farewell to Philippe, we continue on our path of progress and development as we work towards our common goal of bringing trophies back to Anfield.”
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/jurgen-klopp-explains-liverpool-sell-14122319
