Liverpool: Jurgen Klopp Fends Off Coutinho Bid But Faces Offer for Other Star
When the owners of Liverpool Football Club, Fenway Sports Group, issued a statement on Friday morning, a feeling of relief would have flown over Jurgen Klopp.
"We wish to offer clarity as regards our position on a possible transfer of Philippe Coutinho," it read. "The club's definitive stance is that no offer for Philippe will be considered and he will remain a member of Liverpool Football Club when the summer window closes."
The statement followed Barcelona's strong pursuit of the Brazilian midfielder this summer, willing to pay around £120 million (about $156 million) to take him to the Nou Camp. Having sold Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain for £198 million, Barcelona needs a successor; Coutinho and Borussia Dortmund's Ousmane Dembélé have been at the top of the list.
But Liverpool's strong stance will prevent it from being Coutinho, which will come as a relief to Klopp. Yet, after managing to fend off interest in one of his star players, reports in Italy now suggest the German faces a fight to keep hold of another of his midfielders.
According to Gazetta dello Sport, Serie A champion Juventus is preparing an £23 million offer for Emre Can, the German midfielder who has become an integral part of Klopp's team.
Related: Liverpool's Summer Finally Improves, Spurs Fears Exodus in Transfer News
With less than one year remaining on his contract at Anfield, Can will be free to talk to clubs in January about a move away from the Merseyside club.
Last month, however, Klopp insisted the club had "good talks" with the 23-year-old over the summer about a new contract.
"You can imagine we're involved in talks, and we all feel good and confident in this moment," he told the Liverpool Echo.
"That means they're not the worst talks, but until anything is done or signed there's nothing to say.
"Emre is a very important player for us. We don't want to sell or lose players who are in our first lineup or close to it."
For now, Can will be part of Klopp's Liverpool squad when it travels to Hertfordshire on Saturday to face Watford in the team's opening game of the Premier League season.
