Philippe Coutinho ‘emails transfer request’ as Liverpool owners rebuff Barcelona’s £90 million bid

Liverpool have insisted Philippe Coutinho will not be sold at any price amid reports the midfielder has submitted a transfer request in a bid to force a move to Barcelona.

Coutinho is Barcelona’s top target to replace Neymar following the striker’s world record move to Paris Saint-Germain.

After having two previous offers rejected, the Spanish club are believed to have increased their bid for the Liverpool forward to £90 million (HK$909 million).

Liverpool are determined to hang on to Coutinho no matter what offer Barcelona make, but the 25-year-old Brazilian is keen to move to the Camp Nou and reports on Friday claimed he tried to push his club into letting him leave by sending an email containing the official transfer request.

Coutinho’s demand is believed to have been rejected by Liverpool, who only hours earlier had gone public with their intent to keep the playmaker at all costs.