Liverpool fans were drowning their sorrows in the Transfer Tavern over the weekend after seeing their side thrashed by Manchester City.

Jurgen Klopp’s men thumped Arsenal prior to the international break and would have taken much confidence into their trip to the Etihad Stadium, but they were comprehensively beaten 5-0 by the Citizens, with Sadio Mane’s first half sending off hardly helping their cause.

However, the Merseyside giants do not have to wait long to get that result out of their system, as they return to Champions League action for the first time in three years on Wednesday at home to Sevilla, with the Reds harbouring ambitions of a deep run in Europe’s premier club competition.

And although Liverpool fans lining up at the bar will be relishing their side’s return to Europe’s elite, they are unlikely to be overly encouraged by a recent report from Sport, which notes that Barcelona are preparing to reignite their interest in Philippe Coutinho in January.

The 24-year-old’s future was speculated upon throughout the summer but he remained a Liverpool player past the summer deadline, although he has yet to make an appearance in Klopp’s team so far this term.

And with the Spanish giants reportedly circling again, here are FIVE reasons why Liverpool should indeed give in to the Catalans come the New Year…

They could do without Coutinho

Going forward hasn’t been Liverpool’s problem under Klopp, and although Coutinho was often their go-to man in years gone by, he’s probably not got that tag anymore.

Sadio Mane’s move from Southampton last year raised many eyebrows, but it was during his spell away at the African Cup of Nations that the Reds really struggled, as opposed to the six-week injury lay-off Coutinho had over Christmas.

And with Roberto Firmino in fine form, Mo Salah proving his worth in the early stages of the season, and Daniel Sturridge still an option from the bench, they could probably do without Coutinho, and thus must consider giving in to Barcelona in January.

Tough to keep an unhappy player

Coutinho reportedly submitted a transfer request to Liverpool during the summer in a bid to get a move to Barcelona, not long after Liverpool made it perfectly clear that they weren’t interested in selling him.

Thus, it appears that both parties are unhappy with the other, and that now leaves manager Klopp in a tricky situation of keeping a player who may be unhappy in and around the dressing room and the squad.

Just because Coutinho handed in a transfer request doesn’t necessarily mean that he doesn’t want to play for Liverpool, but there’s certainly a chance that he is frustrated that he was unable to move away this summer, and that could rub off on the rest of the Liverpool players.

Ultimately, we don’t know how Coutinho is going to react, but there is always going to be a question mark now over his commitment to the cause, a situation which would resolve itself if the Reds gave in in January.

Barca will probably keep bidding

If Barcelona do indeed see Coutinho as a long-term replacement of Andres Iniesta, it’s unlikely that they are going to give up just because Liverpool have held out for one window.

The Catalans are one of the biggest clubs in the world and will, like many, be expecting better this time round, having failed to win a trophy last season.

They are now second-best to Real Madrid in their own league and indeed the Champions League, and that simply cannot happen for too long if Ernesto Valverde wants to remain in a job.

Recreating that golden generation of Xavi, Iniesta, and co could take Barca back to their dominant selves of 2009 and 2011, and they may see Coutinho as part of that.

They are unlikely to give up easily.

Huge sum could be reinvested

If the figures bandied about are indeed true, and that Barcelona bid in excess of £130 million for Coutinho over the summer, that is an extortionate amount of money that Klopp could reinvest on other areas of his squad.

Clearly, it’s the defence which needs sorting out at Anfield, and Klopp could arrive in January in a position to buy Virgil van Dijk from Southampton and Jack Butland from Stoke City using the money generated from Coutinho’s sale.

If that were to happen, would Liverpool be in a healthier state and a better position to challenge for honours? Absolutely.

Going forward is not the problem, with or without Coutinho, but the backline and goalkeeper is – thus giving in to Barcelona in January, and reinvesting, could actually make Liverpool a lot stronger.

Only so long you can stand firm

It’s very unlikely that teams can continue to stand firm when some of Europe’s biggest clubs come calling, even Liverpool.

The money Barca could be offering the Reds for Coutinho in January is likely to be eye-watering, and the longer it goes on without a solution, the more the player himself may get frustrated, and the greater effect it could have on the squad and the manager.

The deal that saw Raheem Sterling leave for Manchester City took a while, as did Luis Suarez’s to Barcelona, but they did happen, and arguably always looked likely to happen.

It’s going to be very difficult for the Reds, especially if they are in need of reinforcements in January to help domestically or in Europe, to say no again if the Catalans come calling.