Barcelona have been chasing Philippe Coutinho for a few weeks now. It is reported by the Daily Star that the Spanish club are ready to step up their interest in the Brazilian, as they are very keen on replacing Andres Iniesta in the summer. The club legend will not be forced out of the club straight away, but a signing would be made with a view of ultimately replacing the 33-year-old. Barcelona are not expecting the midfielder to carry on playing even for the next three years. Coutinho has caught the attention of the Spanish club after a string of improved performances in each campaign.
Coutinho could have very well been crowned as the PFA Player of the Year had it not been for some impeccable performances from the likes of Eden Hazard and N’Golo Kante in the last few years. The 24-year-old has ran both these players extremely close in the fight for the title of being best player of the Premier League. Aware of the transfer interest from the Catalan club, Liverpool managed to agree a new contract with the player back in February. Coutinho is now tied down with Liverpool until June 2022 putting Liverpool in a formidable position, but that does not seem to have deterred Barcelona.
The Spanish club know that if they manage to convince the player, Liverpool will have no other option but to sell since we would not prefer to keep an unhappy player at the club. Hence, there remains a strong possibility that Coutinho could leave in the summer. Fear not, as Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has already set his sights upon a replacement should this happen. Former Bayern Munich star Mario Gotze has been identified as the target for Liverpool if Coutinho leaves.
Coutinho will not go for cheap, as he is expected to command around £60 million in transfer fees. However, Gotze can be secured for a much lesser fee since his stock has fallen a lot since his exit from Borussia Dortmund in 2013. Gotze moved against the wishes of Klopp, but it is understood that the German manager is not holding any grudges. After a failed spell with Bayern Munich, the winger returned back to the Westfalenstadion stadium. However, his second spell at Dortmund has not been great as he has struggled for form and fitness.
It is expected that Dortmund will be ready to sell the player if they receive a decent offer. Klopp will also be ready to be reunited with his former player, especially considering that he got the best out of the 24-year-old.
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