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We've been here before.

The transfer window is open, Philippe Coutinho isn't fit for selection and the Catalan media believe he's on the brink of signing for Barcelona.

“Coutinho will not wear the No 10 shirt of Liverpool again,” stated Spanish newspaper 'Sport' on Tuesday.

The Barcelona-based publication expects a deal worth around 150million Euros (£133million) to go through in the coming days.

For that to happen, things will certainly have to change quickly. As it stands Liverpool have had no fresh approach from Barca and there is no offer on the table.

If Coutinho has no intention of playing for the Reds in the second half of the season then he has yet to articulate those thoughts to manager Jurgen Klopp .

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Of course last summer provided a lesson in the perils of reading too much into the daily bulletins from Spain.

The stream of misinformation was constant from the regular updates about 'a breakthrough in negotiations' to details about Coutinho's imminent unveiling at the Camp Nou. It was all nonsense.

Trying to deflect attention away from their failure to land their top target, Barcelona director Albert Soler even claimed that Liverpool offered to sell Coutinho to them for £200million on deadline day.

The Anfield hierarchy angrily refuted that. They were adamant that no price was ever set and no talks had ever taken place because Coutinho, whose transfer request was ignored, simply wasn't for sale.

Three bids - the highest offering a headline-grabbing £118million including add-ons but with only £82million guaranteed – had all been quickly rejected.

Liverpool's hardline stance paid off. Not only did the Brazil international stay put but he knuckled down and flourished in the first half of the season. He has netted 12 goals in 20 appearances this term.

Yet that summer-long saga has now been re-ignited and this time the rhetoric from the club is different.

Neither the owners nor Klopp himself have publicly stated that Coutinho is going nowhere.

The manager was adamant last week that Liverpool didn't need to balance the books following the £75million signing of Virgil van Dijk, but he stopped short of guaranteeing that Coutinho would still be at Anfield come February.

Why? Maybe Klopp knows that an offer could arrive from Barca this month which is just too good to turn down.

Maybe Klopp would rather invest that cash in a top-class attacking replacement who wants to be at the club rather than keep a player against his wishes for a second successive window.

Alternatively, it could be that Liverpool and Klopp just don't want to inflame the situation. That they have no intention of losing Coutinho this month but don't want to alienate their biggest asset.

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After all, if Barca don't come up with a suitable offer – in excess of £125million - then the Reds would be able to justifiably claim that it wasn't them who wrecked his dream move.

What is undeniable is that Liverpool still hold all the aces. Coutinho is under contract until 2022 and has no release clause.

It would make little sense to sell him this month. There's too much for the Reds to play for between now and May.

Plus, Barcelona will win La Liga with or without Coutinho and he wouldn't be eligible to play for them in the knockout stages of the Champions League.

This summer remains the most likely departure time for Coutinho. Agreeing a deal this month for July might just suit all parties.

Coutinho gets his wish, Barca get their man and Klopp has time to plot the future without him.