Klopp reportedly told Coutinho he wanted him to stay at Liverpool as he felt they were building something for the future.
However, the 25-year-old ultimately refused to listen.
Joe say he was, at the time, willing to stay but when Barcelona came calling he found it an opportunity too good to turn down.
Klopp has since made Salah his Liverpool leader in a decision that has paid dividends.
GETTY
Liverpool news: Jurgen Klopp sold Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona in January
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Philippe Coutinho joins team-mates for hypnosis challenge
Meanwhile, Ian Wright thinks Salah was the main reason the Reds were happy to let Coutinho go.
"It says much about what he's done for Liverpool that Brazilian maestro Philippe Coutinho has rarely been mentioned since he joined Barcelona,” he said.
“In hindsight, that's probably why Klopp never kicked up a fuss about him going in the first place.
The Liverpool boss knew he had a player who better suited the pattern."