Will we ever hear the last in Philippe Coutinho transfer saga? After a summer of yo-yo between Barcelona and Liverpool over the Brazilian playmaker, it looks like the Catalan giants are ready to test the Reds’ resolve once again.
It is being reported in the Spanish press that Barcelona are pressing ahead with their plans of signing Coutinho in the January transfer window. Whether it happens or not, it looks like the entire saga is ready to repeat itself in the next transfer window.
Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo quotes that Barcelona are ready to discuss the possibility of a transfer with Coutinho’s agents and the club this week.
‘Coutinho to Barcelona’ was one of the most popular transfer sagas this summer. After sensationally losing Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain in a world record deal, Barcelona wanted to snap up the Brazilian playmaker from Liverpool to add creativity to their squad.
Coutinho was initially regarded as a replacement for Neymar but the Reds were reluctant to part with their best player, even after the player himself put in a transfer request. Multiple lucrative bids from the cash-flush Catalans were rejected, with reports later in the summer indicating that Liverpool demanded as high as €200m for the Brazilian.
Coutinho has since reintegrated into the Liverpool squad and is getting back to his creative best. After the disappointment of summer transfer not going through, Coutinho has quickly gone back to doing what he does – he has 4 goals in his last 5 appearances. Just when it looked as though the Samba star had put the summer saga out of his mind, the Catalans are looking to pull him back into their transfer plans.
Coutinho penned an extension at the club that ties him up at the club until 2022. There is silent optimism within the Catalan hierarchy that Coutinho will eventually move to Barcelona. They still view that the €110m offer – €80m up front plus €30m in add-ons should get the deal done.
Let’s hope that Liverpool continue to resist the moves – at least until next summer.
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