Lionel Messi could sell for €300m following Neymar's world record transfer to PSG, says Jurgen Klopp

Barcelona may be in hot pursuit of Philippe Coutinho, but the Liverpool manager has turned the focus back on the Catalan giants

Lionel Messi has a release clause of €300m at Barcelona (Getty Images)

Barcelona’s ongoing pursuit of Philippe Coutinho may be the biggest current saga of the summer transfer window, but Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has warned the Catalan giants they risk losing their own star player too.

Paris Saint-Germain smashed the world record last week by triggering Neymar’s €222m (£200m) release clause and Klopp sees no reason someone won’t come in and do the same for the Brazilian's former teammate Lionel Messi.

"It’s pretty simple. Until now it was simply seen as impossible," Klopp told football-streaming service DAZN. "Then there is the list, with the release-clauses for Barcelona. Leo Messi, €300m.

"In a period of just a month that suddenly sounds possible too. That used to be an outrageous amount. They just set that amount randomly. I mean who would pay €300m? And now it simply happened."

Klopp’s comments follow Barcelona having a second bid rejected for Liverpool forward Philippe Coutinho but came before the player handed in a transfer request on Friday morning.

The La Liga side have identified Coutinho, Tottenham playmaker Christian Eriksen and Dortmund forward Ousmane Dembele as possible replacements for Neymar but would face new problems altogether if Messi were to leave.

Following PSG’s deal, some in world football have suggested putting new controls on transfer spending and Klopp agrees this could be a possibility.

"A simple solution would be a rule. Where we want to go and where this should stop,” Klopp added.

"The biggest clubs can decide on that, where they would want to set a limit. €150m or €550m or whatever, and then no one would complain anymore. This is a topic now since it happened for the first time."