Philippe Coutinho to join Barcelona after Liverpool accept £145m fee
Brazilian set to fly to Spain for medical as Anfield bosses concede defeat in battle to keep hold of star player. The deal is expected to go through early next week
LIVERPOOL have agreed a £145million deal to sell Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona.
Anfield bosses have finally conceded defeat in their attempts to keep hold of their star player and have decided to cash in this month.
Coutinho is now flying to Spain tonight for a medical, and is expected to be unveiled at the Nou Camp on Monday.
Barca are understood to be paying an initial £106m fee, with a further £36m due depending on appearances and team success.
The Spanish club made a similar offer last summer for the 25-year-old, but the terms of the add-ons were unrealistic.
At the time Barca suggested payments for random personal achievements, such as Coutinho winning the Ballon d'Or.
But now they have come back to the table with far more realistic add-on payments tied into the number of appearances, goals scored and trophies won.
As late as this week, Liverpool bosses were still hopeful of being able to persuade the playmaker to commit his long-term future to Merseyside.
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But they discovered there was no chance of keeping him when the player made it clear no amount of money would stop him pushing for his dream move to the Nou Camp.
Barca used Coutinho's agent Kia Joorabchian as a go-between in talks last week in order to establish the exact terms.
And once it became clear Liverpool were open to the idea of a sale, Barca knew they would get their man.
When Jurgen Klopp's squad flew up for a short break to Dubai today after their 2-1 FA Cup win over Everton, Coutinho was not part of the group who boarded the plane.
Instead he is planning to make the short hop to Spain to finalise a deal on a private jet today, with the formal presentation on Monday.
The deal is the biggest ever involving a British club, and will make him the second most expensive footballer in the world behind compatriot Neymar.
French teenager Kylian Mbappe's move to Paris Saint-Germain is only a loan at present, with his £166m option not being due until this summer.