When Neymar was plucked from Camp Nou recently by Paris Saint-Germain, it was clear that the hawks would be circling externally for a replacement to fill the chasm in Barcelona’s front three.
Sorry (again), Liverpool supporters.
Attacking midfielder Philippe Coutinho could become the first domino to fall as the La Liga giants look to replace their former Brazilian star with at least one other, according to reports Tuesday afternoon from ESPN Deportes reporter Jordi Blanco.
Barca are looking to lock up the 25-year-old to a five-year agreement for a fee of €90 million (£81.6m) with incentives that could escalate the total to €120m (£108.8m), just over half of what the club received from PSG in the Neymar sale.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has been emphatic in his stance that Coutinho, who had been previously deployed in advanced midfield position but was used primarily on the left side in 2016-17, was “not for sale,” sources have suggested that the Catalan club expressed interest in the Reds playmaker before the negotiation of Neymar arose.
Blanco’s report claims that Barcelona general director Òscar Grau traveled to Liverpool Monday night to hasten negotations following an initial base offer of €80m last week.
A reminder of #LFC‘s stance on Phil Coutinho this summer:
“Not for sale”
“No other interpretation of that”
Barca “can save their energy” pic.twitter.com/iVydsiABcx— Melissa Reddy (@MelissaReddy_) August 8, 2017
The Rio De Janeiro native expanded upon his performance in 2015-16 by totaling 14 goals and nine assists in all competitions, and has increased his scoring output every year since joining the Merseyside club in 2012-13. Liverpool purchased him in January 2013 for £8.5 million from Inter Milan, who sent him out on extended loan spells to Vasco da Gama and Espanyol.
While Klopp’s side is much stronger than that of former manager Brendan Rodgers, it appears that Liverpool will lose its most talented player to Barca for the second time within a decade following the departure of forward Luis Suarez, sold for a reported €82.3 million in July 2014 following a season where the Uruguayan led the Premier League with 31 goals and looked set to win the title as leaders until the final two fixtures of the year.
After a return to Champions League qualifying this year for the first time since the sale of Suarez, Liverpool supporters optimism in the club and its American owners could quickly sour with his departure. All but one of the five other serious contenders in 2017-18 have made at least several acquisitions to boost their squads this year, and Spurs, the other, have the kind of talented youth that make them capable of again finishing in the top four regardless.
