Klopp Addresses Controversial Coutinho Saga for First Time Since Close of the Transfer Window

Jurgen Klopp has spoken for the first time since the close of the transfer window and made clear how he feels about the Coutinho situation in the interview with German media outlet SPORT 1.

The Reds boss moved to make it known that the Brazilian will be welcomed back with open arms into the first-team fold at Anfield.

Klopp also gave some reasoning as to why Coutinho was not sold, highlighting that the Reds stance was always that Coutinho would not leave, while also stating that suggestions of Liverpool demanding €200m (£183m) should not be believed:

“We have our situation and Dortmund has another,” claimed Klopp. “Don't believe everything in the press or that there are offers here and there and that the minute after the offer has been entered, it should already be over."

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“We are not like George Orwell where everybody knows everything immediately. We have exactly the situation we wanted and no other. Dortmund decided the player (Dembele) would leave them, so I cannot compare the two situations."

“We still have a really good player in the squad who can play.”

Barcelona failed in their attempts to sign Coutinho after Liverpool rejected three bids from the Catalans for the Brazilian international, the highest of those reportedly being worth £140m.

Barcelona, having lost Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain, were desperate to get world class reinforcements in to replace the Brazilian talisman. Despite not being able to prise Coutinho away from Merseyside they did eventually succeed in taking Ousmane Dembele from Borussia Dortmund for £96m plus add-ons.

Coutinho has yet to feature for Liverpool in the Premier League this season due to a reported back injury. However he was fit enough to score from the bench for Brazil in their 2-0 World Cup qualifying win over Ecuador on Thursday.