London: Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp refused to be drawn on the future of Philippe Coutinho on Thursday as speculation escalates about another Barcelona bid for the Brazilian forward.

Coutinho handed in a transfer request in a bid to force Klopp to sell him before the summer transfer deadline but Liverpool refused to budge even in the face of offers of over £100 million ($136 million, 112 million euros) from Barca.

The Brazilian is out of Friday’s FA Cup Merseyside derby at home to Everton with a thigh strain, but Klopp expects the Brazil international to be available to face Premier League leaders Manchester City on January 14.

“I think he is in a bunch of available players for the City game,” said Klopp.

“All the things I could say now will only create stories. I have nothing to say about it.

Klopp dodged both the transfer speculation and reports that the player believes he has played his last match for the Reds.

“I opened the door half-way because I mentioned it was the transfer window but there is nothing I can say about it which would help me, the player or the club.”

In August, the club’s owners publicly stated that Liverpool would not sell the Brazilian. There has been no such declaration so far this winter.

Asked whether he had to consider the possibility of having to replace Coutinho in January, Klopp added: “I really have nothing to say.”

Agence France-Presse