Barcelona are prepared to pay £120 million to make Philippe Coutinho the second most expensive player in the world as their courtship of the Liverpool talisman continues.

Coutinho is interested in a move to the Nou Camp, but will not agitate to leave Anfield four years after arriving in an £8 million deal.

Liverpool’s stance remains that the player is not for sale at any price. The absence of a release clause in the five-year contract that Coutinho signed in January means owners Fenway Sports Group have the ability to stand firm, unlike Barcelona, who were forced to sell Neymar for £198 million to Paris Saint-Germain.

Neymar’s departure from the Catalans has set a new benchmark in transfer fees, but Barcelona are prepared to reinvest