According to reports in the Daily Mail, Barcelona have made a £72m bid for Liverpool attacking midfielder Philippe Coutinho, but the Reds are expected to reject the offer.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Daily Mail says that the La Liga giants are looking for a long-term replacement for Andres Iniesta – who is now 33 years of age – and they have identified Coutinho as the man to fill the void.

While their opening £72m offer is likely to be turned down by the Reds, according to the Daily Mail, it is unlikely to be the final offer from the Catalan side, as they look to strengthen their squad following a disappointing season last time out.

Having agreed a new deal with the Brazilian last season that is due to keep him at Anfield until 2022, the Daily Mail says that the Merseyside outfit feel the offer falls below their valuation of the 25-year-old – especially in the current market when prices are hugely inflated.

How did Coutinho do last season?

He was once again influential for the Reds and is undoubtedly one of their most important players.

The Brazil international, who played as more of a left winger for Jurgen Klopp’s side last term, scored 14 goals and provided a further nine assists in 36 matches in all competitions, while he missed seven Premier League matches because of injury between December and January.

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How big a miss would he be for Liverpool?

He would be a huge miss.

While the Reds have attacking talents like Adam Lallana, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino, Coutinho is still one of their biggest attacking threats from a creative and goalscoring point of view, and he is capable of linking up brilliantly with the aforementioned trio.

Could he really go this summer?

If Liverpool want to progress, they simply have to keep hold of Coutinho otherwise it will send out a message to their players and their rivals that they aren’t ambitious.

While the Merseyside outfit are likely to stay strong, if the 25-year-old begins to agitate for what is a tempting move to the Camp Nou, then it may well be a different story altogether.

What’s the verdict, then?

Well, while Barcelona are ready to big bid for Coutinho, a move away this summer at least looks unlikely as the Reds are determined to keep hold of their Brazilian star.

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