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Whether you agree with him or not, you could never accuse Jurgen Klopp of not having the courage of his convictions.

The Liverpool boss delivered a robust defence of the decision to sell Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona when he faced the media at Melwood on Friday.

Klopp insisted it was his call to sanction the £142million deal and that it was the "only option" because there was "no chance" of using Coutinho in the second half of the season.

Effectively, Klopp concluded that the player's head had been turned to such an extent that keeping him against his wishes would have led to his contribution dwindling.

Yes, Liverpool could have stood firm but he felt that it would have been the most hollow of victories with Coutinho's heart no longer in it.

Klopp refused to accept that it was a gamble because he felt there was no other choice, but there is no getting away from the fact that selling one of your best players in January when you're still competing on three fronts is a major risk.

He could have made Coutinho, who was under contract until 2022, stay put - banked on him lifting his chin off the floor when the window was shut and delivering for his club in order to cement his place for Brazil at the World Cup.

If Coutinho had subsequently downed tools the ire would have been directed at him rather than Klopp.

Alternatively, many managers who were in the process of selling such an elite talent, would have wanted to ensure the blow was instantly softened by having a replacement already lined up. Not Klopp.

The clamour for him to re-invest that cash is deafening but a week on it remains untouched and not because it's already been earmarked to cover the transfer fees for Virgil van Dijk and Naby Keita .

(Image: Colin Lane)

Klopp has repeatedly shown during his Anfield reign that he won't be swayed by the weight of opinion outside the confines of Melwood.

Last summer he was regularly told it would be folly not to pursue a Plan B at centre-back when Liverpool failed to land Virgil van Dijk. He shrugged off those demands, pressed on with what he had and opted to wait six months for the Dutchman.

Similarly, when RB Leipzig rebuffed the club's advances for Naby Keita, he decided to wait a year for the Guinea midfielder rather than set his sights on an alternative target.

In the past Liverpool have been guilty of panicking and squandering money when they lost a top talent.

Alberto Aquilani for Xabi Alonso, Andy Carroll for Fernando Torres and Mario Balotelli for Luis Suarez - three disastrous deals which set the club back.

Klopp is determined that history will not repeat itself.

For a start, he feels under no pressure to buy. In the short-term at least he's convinced he has a squad capable of coping without Coutinho.

That belief is fuelled by a record which reads played 12, won 10, drawn one, lost one in the matches Coutinho has missed so far this season.

Thomas Lemar remains on Klopp's radar but Liverpool have yet to re-ignite the negotiations which took place last summer.

Initially reluctant to sell mid-season, Monaco have been making noises this week that they might be prepared to do business.

However, there's a feeling inside Liverpool that he's over-priced at around £80million to £90million in the current market and that cash would be better spent elsewhere.

It's a situation which could change over the coming weeks but Klopp wants a bona fide game changer and if he can't find what he wants at what he perceives to be a fair price this month then he's prepared to wait until the summer.

Klopp sees the signings of Van Dijk and Keita as important steps towards turning Liverpool into genuine title contenders. How he invests the Coutinho money is going to be crucial in making that final leap to glory a reality. There will be no knee-jerk decisions.

It's worth remembering after a turbulent week that Liverpool have gone 17 matches unbeaten, they sit fourth in the Premier League, are in the last 16 of the Champions League and are in the last 32 of the FA Cup.

They are a point better off than they were at the same stage of the 2013/14 season.

Klopp believes the thrilling resurgence of recent months will continue in the absence of Coutinho. What's crystal clear is that he will keep doing it his way. He's immune to the noise outside.