Just when Liverpool fans thought this week was all sunshine and lollipops, the Jurgen Klopp bubble has been somewhat burst by suggestions that Manchester City are looking at Philippe Coutinho ahead of next summer.

Reports claim that if the Reds fail to qualify for the Champions League, a state of affairs that is entirely feasible, the Citizens will look to launch a £50m move for the 23-year-old, and as we’ve seen through recent years, the Merseyside club are willing to sell their best players for big fees.

In truth it’s a bit early to get too worried (Klopp himself is understood to be confident of breaking into the top four this season), and Coutinho himself doesn’t appear to be uncomfortable at Anfield – as Raheem Sterling was before he joined City.

We at FFC Towers believe that the silky playmaker would be foolish to pursue a move to the Sky Blues, or Real Madrid or Barcelona, as soon as 2016, and here are FIVE reasons why…

The Klopp factor

Barring the biggest of late swings, Jurgen Klopp will be Liverpool’s new manager. The German is known to be a shrewd coach and if his previous backroom staff come too, the tactical nous his Dortmund team showed as they rose from sleeping giants to the Bundesliga’s best side could be replicated at Anfield.

Coutinho owes a lot to Brendan Rodgers for his part in his development, but under Klopp the Brazilian could push on yet again, with his playing style perfectly suited to the 48-year-old’s ‘gugenpressing’ approach.

Tenacious, quick over ten yards, intelligent on the ball and technically superb, Coutinho could be Klopp’s new Shinji Kagawa, who was, before his ill-fated Manchester United move, heralded as one of the best attacking midfielders in European football thanks to his rise at BVB.

Is he ready?

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Even the most ardent of Liverpool fans will struggle to argue that Coutinho is up there with rivals such as David Silva and Eden Hazard.

Yes, he’s capable of moments of individual brilliance (above), but he has a tendency to go missing in games and lacks the killer edge in front of goal that’s needed in the ‘No.10’ role.

Coutinho can function as a central midfielder, but would he be relied upon at Manchester City, Barcelona or Real Madrid? Probably not until he’s proven his talents over the course of a few more years.

Main man at Anfield

So often footballers can look truly excellent in a certain set-up only to fade away at a different club. Okay, many go on to fulfil their promise (look at Luis Suarez over at Barcelona with three major medals to his name already), but there is a danger Coutinho could struggle.

His neat passing and desire to get on the ball are suited to being the ‘main man’ in an XI, and at Liverpool he has had that freedom since the exit of the aforementioned Suarez, which has coincided with his best form.

Previous ‘big club’ struggles

Tipped to be a roaring teenage success early on, a move from Brazilian side Vasco da Gama to Inter Milan rather curtailed Coutinho’s development.

It all seemed a bit ‘too much, too young’ for the 23-year-old, who was given opportunities by then manager Rafa Benitez, as he struggled to settle in at the age of 18 – which, perhaps, played a part in his manager’s dismissal.

Coutinho then joined Espanyol on loan for the back end of the 2011/12 season where he shone out of the spotlight as a big fish in a small pond, before heading back to Inter for six months ahead of a cut-price January move to Liverpool, where he’s once again looked good.

He’s happy…

There’s a lot to be said for being happy in life. So what if you don’t have the biggest house, the greatest job or the largest salary? Much of life is about being content, and, according to his agent Coutinho is “extremely happy” on Merseyside after penning a long-term contract earlier this year.

The Brazilian is rumoured to live on the outskirts of the city with his wife, whom he met in his teenage years, and is worshipped by Reds fans. Not a bad set-up, then.