Former Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has opened up about Liverpool's inability to keep hold of key players in the wake of Philippe Coutinho's £142m move to Barcelona.

Jurgen Klopp was desperate to keep the 25-year-old Brazilian until the end of the season but was unable to keep him at Anfield any longer.

Barcelona made numerous bids for Coutinho in the summer transfer window but Liverpool were adamant that they would not sell.

"It’s a dream to be here," said Coutinho upon finally joining Barcelona. "But the money is something between the clubs. I have my objectives: to come here, win games, titles and to enjoy myself.

"I am also grateful to Liverpool, for the five years I spent there. The directors understood it was my dream, they would have liked me to stay, but my dream to come here and they understood."

Rodgers - now in charge at Celtic - spent over three seasons at Anfield before being sacked in 2015 after a 1-1 draw with Everton.

Rodgers delivers brutal truth about Liverpool FC

Coutinho is set to link up with former Liverpool teammate Luis Suarez, who famously also pressured the Reds to sell him to the Catalan giants.

Rodgers was unable to keep of his star player in Merseyside and he's spoken candidly about what it's like to try and keep hold of your best players as manager of Liverpool.

“I think at Liverpool, you always feel you can hang on to your best players, because you have such an iconic club, an institution worldwide,” Rodgers told The Coaches' Voice, as per Liverpool Echo.

“You always felt at Liverpool that you could pay the wages and you could pay the money, but if it was through choice, if the player wanted to move on then that's what he would do. So there was real disappointment.”

It's an unwelcome truth - but one that Liverpool supporters will struggle to argue with.

Klopp will be without Coutinho in the Champions League knockout stages - but he'll be ineligible to play for Barca in Europe until next season.