Liverpool look to secure Philippe Coutinho as Spanish giants flex muscles

Can even a new,improved contract keep Philippe Coutinho at Anfield if Barcelona firm up their interest?

Just last year the Brazilian playmaker agreed a deal to stay at Liverpool until 2020, but reports in Spain suggest the club are keen to extend the deal even further. It is hard to blame them. Coutinho is fast developing into the key component of Jurgen Klopp's side who, whisper it, are beginning to look like title contenders. Furthermore, after the sale of Luis Suarez to the Catalan giants, the Reds will want to prove to themselves and their European rivals that they are no longer a selling club. Easier said than done when the contracts currently being doled out by Barcelona and Real Madrid dwarf anything being earned in England, outside of week-in-week-out star performers like Yaya Toure, Wayne Rooney and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. On Sunday Real Madrid, who are hamstrung by a transfer ban, handed Gareth Bale a world record deal, which will see him earn €390,000 per week AFTER TAX. This came days after Barcelona secured Neymar on much-improved terms, with Suarez expected to get a new deal to match. Throw in the fact Coutinho and Neymar are international team-mates and friends, the Liverpool star is reportedly a fan of the Spanish club and his agent Kia Joorabchian has been investigating the deal for over a year, according to Sport. Coutinho's name has frequently been mentioned in the same breath as Barcelona since joining Liverpool from Inter Milan in 2013. Since then he has improved year-on-year and his performances this season have made Barcelona's decision to move for Arda Turan ahead of the Brazilian look like a miscalculation. If they change their mind, can Liverpool ward them off? Give them Nathaniel Clyne instead. Catch up with the latest episode of Football Friday Live