Jurgen Klopp: No reason to think about Philippe Coutinho's Liverpool future amid Barcelona interest

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is ignoring the speculation surrounding Philippe Coutinho and insists he has not been told by Reds officials that the Brazilian will join Barcelona next month.

Coutinho was the subject of a long, drawn out and unsuccessful pursuit from the Blaugrana, who are still keen on luring him away from Anfield, whether it be in January or at the end of the current campaign.

After scoring a hat-trick in Liverpool's 7-0 victory over Spartak Moscow in the final round of the Champions League group stage, Coutinho fuelled suggestions over a move to Barcelona by refusing to commit his future to Anfield, but the club's CEO Peter Moore moved to dampen talk of a January transfer on Friday (8 December).

Coutinho will almost certainly start Liverpool's clash against Everton when the 229th edition of the Merseyside derby takes place on Sunday, and Klopp is understandably choosing to focus on the visit of Sam Allardyce's men rather than concern himself with mounting speculation.

The Liverpool boss is aware that anything he says or doesn't say will be used by some as an indication over Coutinho's future, but Klopp was keen to stress that he is "completely involved" in the former Inter Milan starlet's state of affairs and has not been informed of an impending transfer in the discussions he has had with people of influence at Anfield.

"I have no reasons to think about that [Coutinho's future]," Klopp said in his press conference.

"It doesn't change my situation, we never speak about transfers in this moment. Whatever I can say will not stop so it makes no sense to answer it, it's a waste of time. If I say nothing people will speculate, but there is really nothing to say.

"I am completely involved in the situation, nobody who has any influence came to me and said Phil will be away in January. I'm fine with the situation, I have no desire to have the situation we had in the summer again, I will say nothing about that and on 31 January we can shake hands and say what a wonderful time we had together... the journalist and me, not Phil and me!"

Klopp's comments, as he knows all too well, will do little to quieten the rumours revolving around Coutinho or indeed have any impact on Barcelona's concrete interest in the 25-year-old, but former Borussia Dortmund will hope his prized playmaker can put all that aside and focus on downing Everton at Anfield, a place they haven't won this millennium.