Liverpool have been at hand to pile on the misery for Barcelona and embarrass them once again over their pursuit of Philippe Coutinho.
The Catalan giants’ club director Albert Soler, seemingly in an attempt to save face, has suggested they rejected the chance to sign Coutinho on deadline day after being set a price of £185million.
These claims come after the La Liga side’s pursuit of the Brazilian came to an end when the Spanish transfer window closed at midnight on Friday.
Anfield officials have since rubbished those suggestions and denied ever setting an asking-price, reports the Liverpool Echo.
Bids of £72million, £90million and £118million were immediately rejected by Liverpool this summer- thereby summing up a stern insistence that Coutinho would not be sold for any price.
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Owner’s Fenway Sports Group remained admirably strong throughout the transfer window, resisting a transfer request from the playmaker himself.
Catalan-based media were the source of numerous misleading reports, all of which elevated the possibility of a deal that was never going to happen.
Taking such an approach has subsequently left Barcelona facing backlash from their own fans, who were seemingly led to believe that a deal would be possible for the club’s first choice Neymar replacement.
For now, at least, the Reds can forget about the looming presence of Barca and instead begin to re-involve Coutinho at Melwood.
There are no excuses now after he shrugged off his back injury to play for Brazil during the week.