Football
ESPN staff 6y

Reports: Barcelona have £142m deal for Philippe Coutinho agreed

Philippe Coutinho did not travel with Liverpool for a warm-weather training camp in Dubai amid multiple reports from both England and Spain that a £142 million transfer to Barcelona has been agreed.

The deal is reported to include £105m up front, with the remaining £37m made up of add-ons based on performance incentives -- a marked improvement over the £118m deal that Barcelona offered Liverpool in the summer.

If confirmed, the new deal would be the world's second-highest transfer following Neymar's move from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain last summer.

Coutinho, a Brazil international, is currently sidelined with a thigh injury and was among a number of first-team players -- undisclosed by the club -- who stayed behind on Merseyside following Liverpool's FA Cup win on Friday night.

Coutinho handed in a transfer request last summer in an attempt to force a move to the Camp Nou but was unsuccessful, as Liverpool rejected three offers.

He has not played in either of Liverpool's matches since the winter transfer window opened on Jan. 1 because of a minor thigh problem, but manager Jurgen Klopp said on Thursday he expects the 25-year-old to be fit for next Sunday's visit of Manchester City.

Meanwhile, Liverpool have been linked with Leicester winger Riyad Mahrez -- one of a number of first-teamers left out of the Foxes' FA Cup team to face Fleetwood on Saturday -- in the last couple of days.

However, reports have claimed the Merseysiders have contacted their Premier League counterparts to say they have no interest in the Algeria international and speculation is "complete fabrication."

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