The Liverpool star is heavily linked with a move away to Barcelona.
Andy Gray has told BeIN Sport’s Facebook page that Liverpool are responsible for the saga surrounding Philippe Coutinho’s future by not inserting a “ridiculous” buy-out clause into his latest contract.
The Brazilian playmaker has been heavily linked with a move to the Catalan outfit as Ernesto Valverde searches for a replacement for Neymar, who joined Paris Saint-Germain.
According to The Mirror’s live transfer blog (entry posted 16:01 on Friday, August 18), Liverpool have rejected a third bid of around £114 million for the 25-year-old.
Such speculation is doing the Reds – who drew 3-3 at Watford in their Premier League opener last week – no favours and a resolution, positive or negative, is surely the aim for Jurgen Klopp and Fenway Sports Group.
And BeIN Sport pundit Gray believes that the Merseyside outfit are mostly to blame for the mass speculation surrounding the star’s future for not taking a leaf out of Barca’s book and including a huge release clause in his contract, which was signed only in January.
He told BeIN Sports: “Liverpool fans won’t like what I’m about to say here, but a large part of it is Liverpool’s fault. If they were so worried about Philippe Coutinho, they should put a buy-out clause in, like what Barcelona did with Neymar, make it ridiculous.
“If you want Coutinho to stay then you put a £120,000,000 million buy-out clause in.”
Gray is right in a way. Liverpool should have included a major buy-out clause but, then again, if they have rejected a £114 million bid then it would suggest that the club feels they can get more for him, in which case it does not matter.
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