LIVERPOOL — Liverpool have rejected a third bid from Barcelona for Philippe Coutinho, a source has told ESPN FC.
The bid was immediately rejected by Liverpool, who maintain their stance that Coutinho will not be leaving Anfield this summer.
The latest offer was worth £118 million (€129m) including £36.5 worth of add-ons, according to The Times. That follows two previous rejected bids from the Catalan side worth £72m and £90m.
Sources close to Liverpool say it does not matter what Barca offer for Coutinho, as they will not sell the player at any price.
Coutinho handed in a transfer request last week and has not featured in Liverpool’s first two games of the season.
Prior to the Brazilian’s request, Liverpool’s owners, Fenway Sports Group, released a statement saying saying “no offers for Philippe will be considered.”
Meanwhile, Barcelona’s sporting director Robert Fernandez recently acknowledged the difficulty in signing Coutinho and Borussia Dortmund’s Ousmane Dembele because of their clubs reluctance to sell.
Coutinho signed a five-year contract at Anfield in January, which made him the club’s highest-paid player, with Liverpool ensuring no release clause was inserted as part of the new deal.
Glenn is ESPN FC’s Liverpool correspondent. You can follow him on Twitter: @GlennPrice94.