KopTalk – Liverpool FC News Liverpool FC news brought to you by KopTalk, the ultimate Liverpool FC website
Barcelona claim that they are closing in on the signing of Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho despite the Anfield outfit insisting that he is not for sale at any price.
Pep Segura, Barcelona’s general manager, suggests that negotiations are advanced and that an agreement is getting closer.
“We are close to Coutinho and [Ousmane] Dembélé,” he told Catalan television station TV3. “We are discussing their deals but do not know when it will be done.”
Asked if he expected to clinch the signing of both players and Segura added: “Yes, we expect it.”
<<– Buy football club shares online –>>
Spanish pundit Guillem Balague later commented that Segura’s comments may only have related to Dembélé and not Coutinho.
Balague, who previously claimed Barcelona had no interest in Coutinho and would not table any bids to try and sign him, Tweeted: “When last night Pep Segura, FCB general manager, was talking about ‘deal is close’ I am pretty sure he meant only Dembélé. Segura knows Liverpool haven’t moved an inch their position on Coutinho: they not selling. Will they be able to maintain it till the end? Despite the insistence of Catalan press (FCB have nothing to do with it) about meetings this week, nothing is planned between LFC and FCB.”
Meanwhile, the Spanish media today claim that Barcelona have tabled a new and improved offer of £118million for the player. As yet there is no credible response filtering out from Anfield as to whether that claim is genuine. If it is, we expect Liverpool to continue standing firm for a little longer at least.
KOPTALK sources remain unconvinced that Coutinho’s exit will be blocked, don’t believe he’s injury status is accurate and believe it’s just a case of when he will leave the club and not if.
A source told us: “They’re trying to broker a deal with his agent that would see him stay a little longer and then move to Barcelona. It would have to be a binding agreement with Barcelona so that they couldn’t try and renegotiate the fee at a later date.
“What people need to understand is that the money being offered simply can’t be ignored if it continues to go higher. He will 100% leave the club, it’s just a case of when and for how much.
“Meetings between people connected with Barcelona and Coutinho’s representatives have been taking place for months. He is 100% pushing for this move but we know he’s been trying to do that since before [Jürgen] Klopp came to the club.
“The irony is that the fans think [Liverpool owners] FSG are also trying to push it through yet they seem more concerned about holding onto him than the manager does. While Klopp is angry about the timing, he doesn’t want to keep a player who is not committed. He thinks this it will unsettle others and in particular [Roberto] Firmino.
“It looks like FSG are trying to put it all on Michael [Edwards, Liverpool’s sporting director] while Klopp is saying ‘just get it sorted quickly one way or another’. It’s like they all know they have to take the money but haven’t a clue what to do about it or how to prepare themselves for the embarrassing backlash that would follow.
“If they take the money this window, expect Klopp to say that they had to take the ‘crazy money’ and that the player wanted out.”
Asked if the player’s ‘sore back’ was genuine, the source claimed: “He is an unhappy prized asset. There’s nothing wrong with him. He’s fit enough to play.”
The source added that Jürgen Klopp is becoming increasingly tired of the media speculation and the ongoing interest in the whole affair.
“The intensity is becoming too much,” said the source. “It’s a real distraction for the first few crucial weeks of the season. It’s all everyone is talking about in the press, on the television, on the radio and throughout the club. I don’t think I’d like to ask him any questions about it at Thursday’s press conference.”
So what do you think? Will he be sold this summer? In January maybe? Next summer or not at all? It’s all a big distraction, isn’t it! Let us know your thoughts in our Liverpool FC forums. Registration is free and simple.