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Liverpool have made definitively clear there is zero interest in bringing Philippe Coutinho back to Anfield.

And that will pave the way for the brilliant Brazilian to instead return to the Premier League with one of the Reds’ top six rivals.

The midfielder WILL be sold by Barcelona just as soon as football gets underway again, and FIFA give the green light for the transfer window to open once more.

The Spanish giants have told the player he will be allowed to leave, and emphasised that with a promise his number 7 shirt will be passed on to Antoine Griezmann next season.

(Image: Getty Images)

Bayern Munich, where Coutinho has spent the last six months on loan, have joined Liverpool in making clear they will not take up a €120m option to make the deal permanent.

That is a blow to the 27 year old, who has admitted to friends that he made a big mistake in forcing his way out of the Merseyside club to join Barca.

His hope was to make amends with an emotional return to Anfield, with friends like Roberto Firmino and Alisson still at the club, and a network of friends still based on Merseyside.

But Liverpool have conveyed an emphatic message to the player’s advisors of zero intent.

He will be 28 by the time football gets underway in Europe again, and that is simply too old for the club’s owners to even consider a significant investment.

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Essentially, he would be worthless in the transfer market at that age, with little or no sell-on value when he gets to the end of what he will demand to be a minimum of a four year contract on joining any new club.

That has left Coutinho reluctantly accepting he will have to join one of Liverpool’s rivals to revive his career, which has been put into stark perspective by Bayern’s admission they will not make his move permanent, despite favourable terms.

There IS interest amongst some of the big Premier League clubs though, with both Manchester United and Spurs asking about his services in recent weeks, according to sources close to his representatives.

Spurs would be an intriguing destination for the Samba star, though Jose Mourinho, should he survive into a second season at the London club, is not known for his indulgence of marquee players.

(Image: PA)

United are looking for depth to their midfield, and see Coutinho as a classic attacking player in a number 10 role, as well as offering versatility out wide at times.

The problem is the fee, with Barca apparently still determined to get €120m for a player they splashed out an eye-watering €145m on.

United won’t go near that fee, and Spurs would hope to drive a hard bargain, while both Chelsea and Arsenal, who could be in the market for attacking players when the window opens, would not entertain such a high price.

One intriguing club would be Leicester, with their manager Brendan Rodgers the man who brought Coutinho to the UK for just £8.5m when he joined Liverpool from Inter Milan.

Rodgers would love to work with the midfielder again, but realises Leicester can not compete with the likes of United in the transfer market.

But if the player can force his price down with Barca, it would open up far more options for him.