da imperador bet： Philippe Coutinho is planning to hold clear-the-air talks with Liverpool after accepting that a move to Barcelona looks unlikely, according to The Independent.
What’s the word?
da apostaganha： If reports are to be believed, Barcelona have been chasing Liverpool’s star player all summer, and they ramped up their efforts after selling Neymar to Paris St Germain for a world-record fee.
It has been widely claimed that the Reds rejected three bids from the Catalan giants, including one that Sky Sports claims was worth £113m.
Coutinho seemingly pushed for a move to the Camp Nou after submitting a transfer request via email, but Liverpool stood firm.
According to The Independent, the 25-year-old and his camp are willing to speak to Liverpool officials to smooth things over and repair any fractured relationships.
It is believed that Coutinho’s representatives intend to blame Barcelona for the playmaker’s conduct, suggesting that the Spanish club manipulated the Brazilian into trying to force a move.
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How positive is this news?
Keeping a player of Coutinho’s calibre would be a huge boost to Liverpool, and would significantly improve the club’s chance of success this season.
However, there is an argument that holding on to the Brazilian will just paper over the cracks.
It is safe to say that Jurgen Klopp’s transfer window has not gone the way that the manager would have hoped.
Naby Keita and Virgil van Dijk were top targets for the German but Liverpool have only managed to secure three new players so far, including Mohamed Salah, Dominic Solanke and Andrew Robertson.
It has been glaringly obvious that the Merseyside outfit are in desperate need of reinforcements at the back of the pitch, so even a team full of Coutinhos would not solve that problem.
While it would be very good news for Liverpool fans if their star player remains at Anfield, there are other problem areas that cannot be neglected.