Report: Klopp Eyes Rakitic as Part of Coutinho Swap Deal With Barcelona
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp will allow star Philippe Coutinho to leave Anfield in January, if he is able to add Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic to his squad in return, according to the Spanish rumours outlet Diario Gol.
The 25-year-old was subject to at least three big money offers over the summer, with reports suggesting the Catalan giants tabled bids well north of £100m to secure the Brazilian's services.
However, the Reds stood firm on their 'not for sale' position, despite the player attempting to orchestrate a move himself by handing in a transfer request.
However, the report claims that it is simply a matter of time before the move is completed, with it expected that Liverpool are holding out on a fee of around £130m in order to finally approve the deal.
It had been suggested in the past that the Camp Nou hierarchy were not keen to stump up that figure, and were instead attempting to come up with an alternative agreement which would still see them land Coutinho.
Now, according to the Spanish press, Klopp may well have found an answer, with the German apparently willing to allow his star to depart for less than £130m, if Rakitic is included as part of a swap deal.
The German manager, as far as Diario Gol are concerned, is a huge fan of the Croatia international and sees him as the perfect replacement for his wantaway creator.
It is believed that negotiations are still ongoing between the two clubs with an eye for either an agreement to be in place over the winter or this coming summer, and that Liverpool do not plan to make the transaction an easy one for Barcelona.
Meanwhile, other reports claim that Barça are already investigating alternatives, with Arsenal's Mesut Ozil, Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann and Lyon's Nabil Fekir on the shortlist.
