The Reds' star playmaker has become a top target for the Catalan giants.

And Barcelona have already seen a £72million bid rejected as they intensify their pursuit of the Brazilian.

The La Liga club are growing in confidence they can strike a deal for Coutinho this summer.

Despite Liverpool insisting he is not for sale, the Daily Mail claim Barcelona sporting director Robert Fernandez and lawyer Andre Curry have held discussions with Coutinho's representatives in London.

Those talks occurred prior to the Barcelona chiefs linking up with the team in Washington on their US pre-season tour.