The Independent claims the player is ready for talks to settle any potential bad blood. It’s understood Liverpool rejected three bids from the Catalans with the final figure believed to be a £118million offer, which in fact proved to be just £82million up front with the rest in add-ons. Barca had imposed a 7pm Sunday deadline on Liverpool to agree to an offer that they had already rejected 48 hours earlier.
The Reds sporting director Michael Edwards ignored their deadline as Liverpool stuck to their stance that the player was not for sale at any price.
The report of the Independent says: “People within the 25-year-old midfielder’s entourage are pointing the finger at Barcelona for manipulating their client and have suggested the Nou Camp club used family members to provide additional pressure. They insist the ill-conceived email was Barca’s idea.” Still, there’s no updates on how this situation can be resolved.
Coutinho’s camp will attempt to shift the blame for the saga on to Barca.
Now though, Coutinho and his representatives are ready to accept that a move is not going to happen, which leaves the player in an awkward position as he prepares to return to the Liverpool fold. The 25-year-old has yet to return to full training at Melwood and he will not be involved against either Hoffenheim on Wednesday night or Arsenal on Sunday.
Li Ming
Thanks for the post! All you described looks odd, to be honest. However, it’s a fair play to Liverpool for keeping him. But £82m upfront + add ons is a lot of money for a player, who while clearly being talented goes missing in one game too many. Pretty much any list of the world's top 40-50 players wouldn't feature Coutinho. And for Liverpool to demand £100m for him is a bit odd. Soccer is really unpredictable if you ask me.
Wang Fang
You're absolutely right! As a seasoned fan, I can't understand why this transfer is still being discussed after a clear rejection. It seems like a drama the player shouldn't be involved in.
Zhang Wei
All this situation seems to be a greatly planned manipulation. Well done to Liverpool on this - if true they get a key player back who is happy to play for them after feeling manipulated. That's a solid win. To my mind, it’s another absolute transfer window shocker for Barca. Their team sheet against Betis this weekend was so poor compared to their team of a couple of years ago. This window has hugely accelerated their decline.
Liu Yang