Philippe Coutinho Tipped to Make Public Plea in Effort to Force His Way to Barcelona

Liverpool maestro Philippe Coutinho has been tipped to potentially release a statement or give an interview expressing his clear desire to join Barcelona in an attempt to put pressure on the Reds to sell him before the close of the transfer window.

Coutinho submitted a transfer request by email earlier this month as he looks to secure a dream move to Camp Nou, but Liverpool have steadfastly refused to sell despite several enormous offers arriving at their door from Catalunya.

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Comments from Sky Sports News' Dharmesh Sheth on what the player's next option might be have now been doing the rounds online.

"Philippe Coutinho's heart remains set on a move to Barcelona but Liverpool will not budge. It is thought Barça will go back in with a bid worth £138m but Liverpool are expected to stand firm," Sheth explained on the channel.

"One option that has been discussed is for Coutinho to release a statement or give an interview making it clear he wants to leave. The hope is to put pressure on Liverpool to sell. Good luck."

The expected £138m offer, which would reportedly pay Liverpool £101m as a basic fee, with a further £37m to be paid in add-ons over time, would make Coutinho the second most expensive player in history behind only Neymar.

Even if Kylian Mbappe completes a rumoured move to Paris Saint-Germain this month, Coutinho would still be the number three on the all-time list and would certainly be the most expensive player ever sold or bought by a Premier League club, surpassing Paul Pogba's £89m.