Danny Murphy rates Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli higher than Liverpool star Philippe Coutinho

Danny Murphy believes Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dele Alli is a much better player than the in-demand Liverpool midfielder Philippe Coutinho, who has been heavily linked with a move to Barcelona. The former Reds man also insists the prolific Spurs midfielder would cost more than the £100m ($130m) figure the Brazilian is mooted to be worth.

Murphy has advised his former club that they might be better off selling the Brazil international and investing the money on a player who can provide more goals and assists than the 14 strikes Coutinho managed last campaign. In comparison, England midfielder Alli scored 22 goals and assisted nine in all competitions last season, which saw him named the most valuable Under-21 footballer in the world last month.

The Reds have qualified for the Champions League this season and should they successfully qualify for the group stages of the competition it will bring added demands on a squad that only had to contend with domestic matters last season.

Murphy adds that Liverpool could stand to benefit from taking that £80m Barcelona are willing to invest in Coutinho and use it and strengthen their squad with better players.

"Coutinho scored 14 goals last season and that was his best return. If Liverpool rate him at around £100m, what's Dele Alli worth? He's better than Coutinho. Different but better," Murphy told talkSPORT.

"If they get £80m or £90m, you'd think they'd sign someone else. We're hypothesising, but the goals and assists those players get might double or treble what Coutinho was bringing in, and you've also not got a player sat there unhappy.

"I'm not saying Liverpool should get rid of Coutinho, because he's a wonderful footballer and there's no doubt about that. But if he wants to go and we get £80m for him, I'd take that."

Meanwhile, Jurgen Klopp has reiterated his decision to keep the former Inter Milan schemer at Anfield. Klopp insists there is no avenue through which the player would be allowed to leave the club under any circumstances.