Liverpool Transfer News: Jurgen Klopp rules out Reds return for Philippe Coutinho
What's the story?
According to Melissa Reddy, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has poured cold water over claims that Philippe Coutinho could seal a sensational return to the club, less than two years after moving to Barcelona for a record-breaking fee in the region of £142 million.
In an exclusive chat with ESPN, the 52 year-old German has revealed that there is no chance of a reunion with his former midfielder, adding that Champions League glory will not force the club to spend big money this summer.
The Brazilian has failed to settle in at the Camp Nou and it has been reported that Barcelona are willing to cut their losses and move him on this summer, sparking inevitable rumors of a return to his former club.
In case you didn't know...
After months of speculation, Coutinho dream move to the LaLiga giants finally bore fruit in January 2018 as he sealed a move to the Catalan club.
Despite the fact that he's won a handful of trophies, the former fan-favorite in Merseyside has failed to make an impression in Spain and Barcelona are reportedly set to cash-in on their club record signing.
While Jurgen Klopp remains a huge fan of Coutinho's abilities, he insisted that a return would not be feasible financially.
"In general, Phil Coutinho helps each team in the world 100%. It's not about that. I like Phil, I think he's a fantastic footballer and all that stuff, but it would be a big, big, big, big, big, big, big, big-money signing and it's not our year for that."
The heart of the matter
Despite the circumstances of his departure, Klopp holds Coutinho in high-regard but revealed although the pair have been in touch, a big money move was never under consideration at any point in the ongoing transfer window.
"It's just not possible. As I said, having him would make each team better -- us included -- but I really hope that he finds his luck at Barcelona. Or maybe he found it there. We have contact, but not that close contact that I know exactly how he is doing, but the rest is only newspaper talk and stuff like that."
What's next?
It has been reported that Kia Joorabchian has been actively looking to get his client a move away from the Catalan club and Klopp's recent comments have squashed any hope of a fairy-tale like reunion with his former employers.
Liverpool have not considered a move for Coutinho at any points and everything points to the fact that the newly-crowned European Champions will have a quiet window with minimal activity in the transfer market.