Liverpool swat aside Barcelona plan to send midfield duo to Anfield

Liverpool reportedly have no interest in Barcelona’s plans to make Andre Gomes and Rafinha a bargaining tool in the La Liga giants’ bid to bring Philippe Coutinho to the Nou Camp.

There had been reports circulating in Spain suggesting that Jurgen Klopp was interested in signing Rafinha, who is valued in the region of £36million.

However, according to The Liverpool Echo, Rafinha isn’t seen as a player that could bring anything different to what Klopp’s squad already possesses.

The Echo is also reporting that there is a similar stance with regards to Gomes. Liverpool are adamant that they will not enter negotiations for a cash-plus-player deal, which would see Reds star Coutinho heading in the other direction.

There has been speculation around Coutinho’s future for large parts of the summer, but Liverpool have remained with the same stance from the off – the player is simply not for sale.

There were strong indications on Monday night that the Spanish side had tabled their second bid for the Brazilian playmaker, somewhere in the region of £89million, but this wasn’t the case.

Klopp’s side were impressive on Tuesday night as they defeated German champions Bayern Munich 3-0 in the Audi Cup, to set up an encounter with Atletico Madrid tonight in the final.

Holding on to Coutinho is deemed pivotal should Liverpool want to compete for the Premier League title this coming season.

The pre-match press before Tuesday’s night game was another chance for Klopp to issue a ‘hands off’ warning to Barcelona.

“If you say he is not available to be sold, where is the interpretation?” said Klopp.

“The word ‘not’ means there is no interpretation. There is nothing new.”

Coutinho’s current contract runs through until 2022, and with there being no release clause included, Liverpool are in a strong position with regards to retaining the 25-year-old.