The Philippe Coutinho saga picked up plenty of steam on Friday, after Liverpool had already knocked back two massive bids from Barcelona.
They’ve identified the Brazil international as the man they want, and finances perhaps won’t be too much of an issue as they received a staggering €222 million from Paris Saint-Germain for Neymar.
TRANSFER REQUEST
The Anfield side is playing hardball, though, as their rejected bids then turned into a statement from the owners, claiming that Coutinho is not for sale at any price.
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You’d assume that’s the end of the story and the Catalan side would turn their focus to Germany and target another big-money deal in Borussia Dortmund’s Ousmane Dembele.
That’s until Coutinho sent Liverpool fans into meltdown when it was revealed that he had submitted an official transfer request, and to make matters worse, he did it via e-mail.
It doesn’t seem like the board or Jurgen Klopp will be changing their stance, but they might be powerless if he’s to force through a move, as Guillem Balague told Sky Sports that the 25-year-old will do whatever it takes to join the Blaugrana this summer.
Balague has claimed that Coutinho was hopeful that the two sides could reach a deal amicably, but what sent him over the edge was his current club claiming that he simply isn’t for sale.
SENT OVER THE EDGE
An excerpt from his post reads: “After Liverpool rejected the two offers from Barcelona, I have the impression that Coutinho felt another one may just make it.
“But, while he waited, he is feeling very agitated, according to sources in Brazil close to the player, despite the fact Barcelona were keeping their calmness, realising that they had to be patient with the whole saga due to its complexities.
“Then, a little bit out of the blue, Liverpool decide they want to put out there that they don't want to sell him, and I feel that put him over the edge. He did not expect that, and he has snapped.
"Coutinho is a nice guy, everyone who works with him knows that, but he has got in his mind that he wants to be a Barcelona player this summer and the disappointment of the Liverpool stand was so big that he reacted to it in the strongest way possible allowed to a player.
"He now ‘would do whatever it takes’ to make the move possible, according to the same sources.”
It’s obvious that Coutinho didn’t expect things to unfold this way, and probably feels that this is the only option he has left if he’s to secure his dream move to Barcelona.
What do you make of Philippe Coutinho submitting a transfer request? Have YOUR say in the comments section below.
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