Coutinho’s may arrive Barcelona today as transfer deal hits $192m,

Philippe Coutinho was not part of the Liverpool players to jet out to Dubai as his reported transfer deal to Barcelona hit $192million.

Barcelona-based Sport newspaper said Coutinho would join Barca this month on a contract for five seasons, although it said the details of the deal were still to be finalised.

“The club reached a deal in principle yesterday evening with Liverpool on the final amount of the deal,” Sport reported.

Another newspaper, Mundo Deportivo, said Liverpool were demanding 160 million euros for 25-year-old Coutinho, but that the sum would be made up of a 120 million euro transfer fee and 40 million euros of “variables”.

Coutinho stayed in Liverpool on Saturday while his teammates jetted off to Dubai for warm-weather training, fuelling speculation that he was set to leave the Premier League club.

Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde refused to be drawn on the issue when he gave a press conference on Saturday.

“Coutinho is a great player, like other players that I am often asked about in press conferences. But I prefer to talk about the players that I already have,” Valverde said.

“When there is something new to say, the club will announce it,” he added.