Thursday, 4 January 2018

*Liverpool are now open to negotiate for Philippe Coutinho*


*Liverpool are now open to negotiate for Philippe Coutinho*

Liverpool have changed the tune of their discourse over Philippe Coutinho and are now open to any eventuality: either selling the Brazilian playmaker in January or agreeing a deal for his transfer in the summer.

Agreeing a fresh contract with the 25-year-old appears at this stage to be the least likely of outcomes given Liverpool’s acceptance that the player has made up his mind to leave and the fact that Barcelona have made little secret of their desire to add Coutinho and Atlético de Madrid’s Antoine Griezmann to their squad as a matter of priority in 2018.

As things stand, Liverpool have yet to receive an offer from Barcelona over which to adopt a position. But it is in the post and will be worth 110 million euros up front with an extra 40 million in add-ons.

Josep Maria Bartomeu feels he has a moral obligation towards the player for the efforts Coutinho has made to force the transfer through: pressuring Liverpool with a supposed injury that caused him to miss the game against Burnley and will also see him absent for the FA Cup Merseyside derby against Everton on Friday.

On the other side of the coin, Luis Suárez and Leo Messi are extremely keen on the arrival of a player who will improve a squad in need of reinforcements.

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