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Barcelona sporting director Robert Fernandez (above) insists the Catalan giants are negotiating with Liverpool for Philippe Coutinho despite Jürgen Klopp playing down quotes by Barca’s general manager Josep Segura who suggested they were closing in on a deal.
Yesterday, Segura said: “We are close to Coutinho and [Ousmane] Dembélé. We are discussing their deals but do not know when it will be done.”
Then, when asked if he expected to clinch the signing of both players, he added: “Yes, we expect it.”
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However, at yesterday’s pre-match press conference Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp tried to play down Segura’s words by saying: “I don’t know why other people are saying what they are saying. I don’t even know them.”
Asked if Liverpool and Barcelona were negotiating and Klopp replied: “I’m not sure I have to answer this because we have already said what we have to say. Nothing new. No news from me and nobody has told me anything different since the last time we spoke.”
Fernandez has now surfaced to back up Segura by saying: “We are negotiating and that is the truth. With all respect to both clubs, logically in a negotiation, you need time to reach agreements for them and for us.
“We still have days ahead and we would like to go forward with this. It is true and I recognise this, that they (Coutinho and Dembélé) are two players we feel like bringing here.”
KOPTALK believes that both clubs are negotiating and that Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp is aware of such.
Liverpool insist that Coutinho will not be allowed to leave during the summer transfer window which means that Barcelona will again have to try and tempt them into doing business by returning with a more attractive offer.
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