Football
Glenn Price, Liverpool correspondent 6y

Liverpool hopeful of being able to convince Coutinho to stay - Klopp

Jurgen Klopp says he is trying to create an environment at Liverpool where Philippe Coutinho would want to stay at Anfield for the long-term future.

Coutinho was subject of interest from Barcelona in the summer and handed in a transfer request as he attempted to force a move to the Camp Nou.

Barca CEO Oscar Grau recently said the Spanish outfit are financially prepared to bid for Coutinho again in January, but Klopp has stressed there is no agreement in place for the playmaker to depart.

"I've no clue. We will see. We don't talk about things like this," he said. "Can you imagine what it would be like if I said, 'Yes, we have an agreement?'

"In this moment, the 100 percent truth is that nobody thinks about this. We don't talk about it, why should we? In both cases it would not make sense -- no, there is no agreement, yes, there is an agreement. It is not important in the moment. We have other moments when we have to talk about these things but not in October."

Klopp added: "In general, as a club, we have to still create a situation where players want to be part of it with all they have.

"In this moment, we have this. Nobody thinks about January, nobody thinks of June or July. Everyone wants to be part of this but there will come transfer windows and we will see what happens."

Emre Can is another player who could leave Liverpool sooner rather than later, having entered the final 12 months of his contract.

The midfielder has yet to sign a new deal with the club and drew interest from Italian champions Juventus in the summer.

"We, as a club, have to give everything until the players give me a sign that they are somewhere else," Klopp said of Can. "So far there is not a shadow of a doubt that he's not 100 percent here."

Can himself, meanwhile, has told The Times that he loves playing for Liverpool.

"It is my fourth season now in Liverpool and I played a lot of games," he said. "I am really enjoying being here. It is a great club.

"Of course I can play better sometimes, I know that, but I think my development has been good so far. I try to be better and I train hard for that. Why should my commitment be any different? I have a contract playing for the club, I earn my money here and I love to play for Liverpool."

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