Klopp 'couldn't be less interested' in Nike's premature Coutinho reveal

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was dismissive of fresh speculation regarding Philippe Coutinho's future at Anfield after kit manufacturer Nike prematurely advertised the sale of Barcelona shirts with Coutinho's name on the back.

Coutinho was heavily linked with a move to Nike-sponsored Barcelona last summer, the result of Neymar's forced move to Paris Saint-Germain. While the Catalan club didn't pry Coutinho out of Liverpool by summer's end, reports of a January transfer coupled with Nike's online gaffe have Liverpool fans worried.

But none of it bothers Klopp.

"I read about it. I can't tell you, because of different reasons, (but) I couldn't be less interested in anything in the world," Klopp said to reporters after a 2-1 win over Burnley. "But somebody told me and I thought 'Wow. Top story.'"

The page has since been taken down, but with a headline reading, "Where the magic happens" and messages of "Philippe Coutinho is ready to light up Camp Nou," and "Get your 2017-2018 FC Barcelona kit with the Magician's name on it," there was very little room for misinterpretation regarding the post.

Coutinho, who himself is sponsored by Nike and wears Nike boots, reportedly handed in a transfer request last summer in an effort to complete a move, but the club rejected a €100-million offer from Barcelona and said in a statement that its "definitive stance" was that "no offers will be considered."

The 25-year-old Brazil international has since reintegrated himself as a key part of Liverpool's attacking quartet, scoring 12 goals and recording eight assists in 20 matches in all competitions this season. But he has kept the door open for a January move, saying: "I do not know how the future is going to be."

While Nike's post is not an indication of a completed deal, Barcelona has made no secret of its desire to try to sign Coutinho again in January, with the club's chief executive Oscar Grau affirming in October: "We are ready to buy Coutinho in the winter market, or any player the technical staff request."