Philippe Coutinho told he will be a barcelona
Philippe Coutinho has been told he are a port player before the top of in the week when metropolis in agreement a British and Spanish record transfer fee for the Brazil international. Barca can pay up to €160million for the offensive midfielder if all performance-related variables area unit met.
Coutinho was wise that metropolis owner Fenway Sports cluster had finally acceded to his request to exit the Anfield club before he left Merseyside on national team duty. The 25-year-old – United Nations agency has not compete for metropolis since the start of August, missing a series of coaching sessions with what the club represented as a “sore back” and sickness – was yesterday declared “in excellent condition to play” by Brazil’s medical workers
Liverpool area unit understood to own asked port to delay the completion of Coutinho’s transfer to permit them to secure a replacement. Discussions are command with AS Principality of Monaco over the acquisition of Thomas Lemar, whereas Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain remains a less expensive choice.
Liverpool face competition from Premier League rivals for each players. Chelsea have created a proper provide for Oxlade-Chamberlain, United Nations agency has entered the ultimate year of his Arsenal contract. Jose Mourinho is curious about taking Lemar, a target for Arsene Wenger for many of this summer’s window. in keeping with a Principality of Monaco supply, the principality’s club owner is hospitable merchandising the France international.
On Monday, metropolis completed associate degree unorthodox deal to sign Guinea international Naby Keita from Rb city in July 2018. they need paid a considerable premium on high of a €55m unharness clause that enters into result prior next summer’s transfer window to ensure the acquisition of the midfielder. The Bundesliga club refused to sell Keita this year.
Liverpool are trying to recruit a brand new centre-back before Thursday’s transfer point with Publius Vergilius Maro van Dijk their number-one alternative for a protracted standing drawback position. Like Coutinho, Van Dijk has created a proper transfer request in a trial to force Southampton to let him be part of one among many Premier League suitors.
FSG can hope that the flurry of high-value signings are enough to appease metropolis supporters over associate degree enforced sale that the yankee investment cluster unconditionally dominated out earlier this month. “We want to supply clarity as regards our position on a potential transfer of Philippe Coutinho,” aforementioned FSG in associate degree August eleven statement on the club’s web site. “The club’s definitive stance is that no offers for Philippe are thought of and he can stay a member of metropolis soccer Club once the summer window closes.”
Softening on merchandising
FSG’s formal position on Coutinho was bookended by a series of press conferences within which Jurgen Klopp additionally declared that the Brazilian wouldn't be allowed to go away metropolis. Last week, Klopp told press that Coutinho would be welcome back to his squad with open arms which his human relationship with the player was “absolutely, a hundred per cent” okay.
Several of Coutinho’s team-mates had already return to the conclusion that Coutinho would be sold to port, with sources near the player describing a deterioration in his relationship with the German to the purpose wherever “he doesn't just like the manager one bit”. Klopp is alleged to own wanted to form associate degree example of Coutinho, purposely frustrating the player’s effort to maneuver before either metropolis or Barca’s domestic campaigns had started so as to send a message to the remainder of the Anfield squad. “He has been making an attempt to play the exhausting man,” aforementioned a supply.
In addition to Coutinho’s record fee, metropolis area unit understood to be near agreeing the sale of Mamadou Sakho. The defender’s preference is to re-join Crystal Palace when disbursement the half of last season on loan to the London club. metropolis area unit asking £30m for the France international.