Click to use the eyefootball Desktop site.
Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino has admitted that it would be 'awful' if Philippe Coutinho leaves Anfield during this summer's transfer window.
Coutinho is currently the subject of interest from Barcelona, who are looking for a replacement for Neymar following his world-record £198m move to Paris Saint-Germain.
Jurgen Klopp's side have already turned down two bids of £72m and £90m respectively from the Catalan giants, but Ernesto Valverde's are planning to come up with a fresh attempt to test the Reds' resolve.
Amid the interest, Coutinho has sent in a transfer request via email to the club's hierarchy rather than moving through the traditional method with his representative.
Coutinho missed the Reds' 3-3 draw against Watford in the Premier League opener with a back problem and he has subsequently not travelled for tonight's Champions League playoff first-leg against Hoffenheim.
In a short interview quoted by Twitter account @BrazilStat, Firmino admitted that he would find it awful to split with Brazilian compatriot Coutinho as they share a fond relationship with club and country, he said: "I prefer to not think of [Coutinho leaving] because it'd be awful. He's a great player but also a great friend to me."
The former Inter Milan has become the main orchestrator in the Liverpool attack in recent seasons and his late departure would undoubtedly shake the club's ambition of lifting their first ever Premier League title.
Written by Sri Aswin
Copyright 2007 - 2019 Eyefootball Ltd. All rights reserved. The news and views discussed here are those of the participating users, and do not necessarily represent or have the endorsement of the editors of Eye Football.
Terms of Use - Privacy Policy - Contact Us - Use Desktop Site