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BARCELONA:  Liverpool have agreed to a £142 million ($192 million) deal to sell Philippe Coutinho to Catalan giants Barcelona in the biggest-ever transfer involving a British club. The Brazilian was scheduled to fly out to the Nou Camp late on Saturday evening to finalize terms. The move was reported by the UK’s Daily Telegraph to include a significant immediate down-payment followed by “achievable, guaranteed add-ons”. The Reds had rejected three offers from the Spanish side, as well as a transfer request from Coutinho himself, last summer. The final offer was for £118 million. Liverpool recently spent a world-record fee for a defender when they signed Virgil van Dijk from Southampton for £75 million, who scored on his debut in the FA Cup Merseyside derby on Friday night.
Barcelona tried to sign Coutinho in the summer, but Liverpool rebuffed their £100 million bid.
His departure will be a blow to Liverpool as the playmaker has just returned to top form after an injury-hit start to the season. He scored six goals in the last seven games of 2017 to put his side firmly in the Champions League places.
Capturing Coutinho allows Barcelona to move on from the bitter experience of losing his Brazil teammate Neymar last summer to Paris Saint-Germain for a world record €222 million euros ($267 million).
French sports daily L’Equipe reported on Saturday that Liverpool were lining up Leicester’s Riyad Mahrez to replace Coutinho, although Britain’s Press Association said the Anfield club had contacted Leicester to inform them that the reports were pure speculation.
Liverpool have also been strongly linked with Monaco forward Thomas Lemar, who Arsenal tried to sign before the season.
Coutinho played no role in Liverpool’s 2-1 victory over city rivals Everton in the FA Cup on Friday.
Liverpool’s winning goal was scored by Virgil Van Dijk, the Dutch defender signed last week from Southampton for £75 million.