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Jurgen Klopp spoke about Liverpool's “great reluctance” in sanctioning the record-breaking £142million deal.

The manager said that the Reds had “done everything within our means” to convince Philippe Coutinho to stay put, but the Brazil international was “insistent” that he moved to Barcelona.

There was also a rallying call delivered to Kopites via the club media channels that “we are big enough and strong enough to continue with our aggressive progression on the pitch”.

But one burning question remained unanswered: why now?

Why jeopardise that progress by selling your biggest asset midway through the season?

Liverpool refused to let player power triumph last summer when Coutinho was equally as desperate to head for Catalonia.

So why bow to his wishes now? Why not make him sit tight until the summer? The 25-year-old was under contract until 2022 and the Reds held all the aces.

The answer lies not only in the eye-watering size of the transfer fee – the biggest ever involving a British club – but in Klopp's managerial principles and his belief in the squad he has assembled.

Some will undoubtedly use the sale of Coutinho as a stick to beat owners Fenway Sports Group.

Ten days after being applauded for their show of ambition after spending £75million to make Virgil van Dijk the most expensive defender on the planet, they stood accused of selling off the family silver.

However, the idea that Coutinho has departed against the manager's wishes just doesn't stand up to scrutiny.

FSG had made it clear that any deal hinged on Klopp giving it the green light. The Anfield hierarchy were all in agreement that financially this made sense.

The package of 160million Euros (£142million) is exactly double what Barcelona first offered for Coutinho back in July.

Unlike last summer, the performance related add-ons, which make up around £36million of the fee, are realistic. They are linked to appearance milestones and trophy wins rather than Ballon d'Or awards.

It's a crazy sum of money for a player who cost Liverpool just £8.5million from Inter Milan five years ago.

Yet the cash on offer doesn't fully explain why the Reds decided to do business. After all, you could argue that Coutinho's value would only have increased between now and May.

The fact is that keeping a player who doesn't want to stick around just doesn't sit right with Klopp.

He's a manager who prides himself on the spirit and camaraderie in the squad. Focus and unwavering commitment aren't viewed as optional, regardless of the talent.

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Klopp was on board but it was the owners who really drove Liverpool's bullish stance last summer that Coutinho was going nowhere. They simply refused to put a price on him, knowing that it would be a damaging blow to the club's prestige so soon after he had penned a new contract and that it would be impossible to replace him so late in the window.

The Coutinho saga throughout August was an unwanted distraction for Klopp. The player's back pain coincided with FSG president Mike Gordon telling him face to face in Munich that he wouldn't get his move to Barca.

Remarkably, the discomfort cleared up once the window had shut. The turn of the year brought complaints about a thigh problem as he sat out the trip to Burnley.

Yes, Liverpool could have played hardball, even if that meant Coutinho not kicking a ball in anger again until February. With the World Cup in Russia on the horizon, the idea that he would have gone on strike was always fanciful.

But Klopp simply didn't fancy another month-long sideshow with the agenda dominated by Coutinho trying to secure his passage to Spain.

Liverpool wanted Coutinho to stay for the rest of the season. They were prepared to increase his £150,000 per week wages.

Klopp hoped that the Reds' continued involvement in the Champions League – coupled with the fact that he can't play in the knockout stages for Barca – would convince him to stick around for another five months.

Handing him the captain's armband was all part of the charm offensive.

(Image: PAUL ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images)

But in the end Klopp had to admit defeat. Coutinho was adamant that he wasn't prepared to wait any longer.

Having kept him against his wishes when he submitted a transfer request in the previous window, Klopp decided against doing so again.

Coutinho's 201st appearance for the club against Leicester City on December 30 proved to be his last. His majestic 20-yard curler against Swansea City on Boxing Day was his 54th and final goal.

There are parallels with Liverpool's pursuit of Van Dijk from Southampton. You can't keep holding on to someone who doesn't want to be there.

This time around the confidence of his representatives Kia Joorabchian and Giuliano Bertolucci that a deal would happen was justified. They knew what Liverpool were willing to accept and they knew that Barca were willing to meet those demands.

Coutinho's exit continues the talent drain out of Anfield over the past decade following the sale of cherished names such as Xabi Alonso, Javier Mascherano, Fernando Torres and Luis Suarez.

Klopp's stated ambition to make Liverpool a final destination rather than just a stepping stone remains a work in progress.

It's a damning statistic that a player as special as Coutinho didn't win a trophy during half a decade with the Reds.

But even if he had a clutch of medals it wouldn't have dimmed his burning desire to head for the Camp Nou.

For South Americans, the lure of the Spanish giants will always be huge. There's also the small matter of being reunited with his close pal Suarez.

Liverpool, unbeaten in 17 matches and still competing on three fronts this term, are on an upward curve under Klopp. Anfield is an attractive destination - the signings of Mohamed Salah, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Van Dijk prove that.

The challenge facing Klopp now is to make sure that the sale of Coutinho doesn't wreck momentum.

The Reds retain a strong interest in Thomas Lemar but Monaco are currently unwilling to sell until the summer.

Klopp's belief that his squad can cope in the short-term at least has been fuelled by the impact of summer signings Salah and Oxlade-Chamberlain, and the return to full fitness of Adam Lallana.

This is a team which has evolved under Klopp and isn't overly reliant on any one individual but Coutinho will undoubtedly be missed.

Liverpool aren't just losing his goals but also that magical ability to unlock a defence. Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane will all feel the absence of that quality of service.

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Klopp never did like the 'Fab Four' nickname and now the band have broken up.

For many of those who bought his shirt, the club's goodwill gesture of a £50 voucher after selling him mid-season will only go some way to easing the hurt.

With Liverpool locked in a battle for a top-four finish in the Premier League and in the last 16 of the Champions League, off-loading such an influential performer in January doesn't sit right.

It's certainly a gamble. If results take a hit then the sale of Coutinho will be blamed.

The fee is huge but whether it's a good deal for the club depends on how they re-invest the cash. They can't make the same mistakes as they did with the Suarez money.

It's a decision which will polarise opinion. Coutinho got his own way but he left on Liverpool's terms.

Ultimately, with a heavy heart, Klopp accepted he was fighting a losing battle.

"Key players have left before but the club always goes on," he said.

Coutinho belongs to Liverpool's past. Klopp's mission is to ensure that his exit doesn't damage their future. His Anfield reign depends on it.