Worried Liverpool fans have been offered some welcomed reassurance over Philippe Coutinho amid Barcelona’s ongoing pursuit of the Brazilian.
Recent reports emerging from Spain have claimed that a £90million deal had been agreed to take the 25-year-old to the Nou Camp, with the deal expected to be completed in the next few days.
Those suggestions have unsurprisingly been rubbished, though, with Spanish publications having grown a somewhat negative reputation for trying to force a deal for Coutinho.
Sky Sports reporters have been at hand to clarify the situation as most Reds will know it to be, explaining that there has been no change since Barcelona saw their opening bid of £72million rejected.
1/2 Philippe Coutinho would like to move to Barcelona if deal can be done amicably with Liverpool. Would only leave Liverpool for Barcelona
— Kaveh Solhekol (@SkyKaveh) August 7, 2017
2/2 Liverpool say Coutinho not for sale. Barcelona have not contacted LFC since £72m offer was firmly and immediately rejected 18 days ago
— Kaveh Solhekol (@SkyKaveh) August 7, 2017
Barcelona understood to have had no Liverpool contact since £72m bid for Coutinho rejected last month. LFC: Not for sale. More on #SSN
— Bryan Swanson (@skysports_bryan) August 7, 2017
The fact no contact has been made since Barcelona’s initial approach highlights just how deceiving reports from Spain can really be.
After all the ‘latest developments’ and suggestions that a deal was in motion, the real update is that there is no update.
Liverpool have and will not budge from their insistence that he will not be sold, regardless of the idea Coutinho himself wants to join the Catalan giants.
Ask most of the top players in Europe whether they want to play for Barcelona. The likelihood is that every one of them will say yes, which is why he can’t be blamed for holding that ambition close to him.
For now, though, his place is and will remain with Liverpool and there has been nothing to suggest he has a problem with that.
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