As BARCELONA humbled bitter rivals Real Madrid in a huge pre-Christmas El Clasico showdown at the Santiago Bernabeu. The Barcelona fans were greeted with another exciting news on the prospects of Brazilian star Philippe Coutinho’s potential move to their club in the January Transfer Window.
Coutinho has 10 goals and seven assists in only 16 appearances in the Premier League and UEFA Champions League this term. A budding partnership with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez will have Barca fans jumping with anticipation.
Barcelona held a secret transfer meeting for the January window - just days before their clash with Real Madrid. Spanish newspaper Sport say Barca prepared for the match off the field by holding transfer talks at the club's offices on Thursday.
The directors agreed that the signing of Liverpool star Philippe Coutinho was their priority. The 25-year-old is still pushing for a move to the Nou Camp but is now pessimistic about his chances of leaving next month.
Barcelona midfielder Paulinho had recently said that he would welcome the capture of Coutinho as rumours intensify around the attacker's future at Anfield.
Speaking to Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo, Paulinho said the player's arrival would bring him joy and admitted he has positive feelings about Coutinho's potential transfer to the Camp Nou, "He's a young player, but has a lot of experience in Europe. I want him to come; I think it would be a great signing for Barca. It would bring me a lot of happiness, because we would have another great player and another Brazilian."
Coutinho's future has been one of European football's longest dramas in recent months, with the Blaugrana hunting a replacement for Neymar. Some analysts say that Barca will pay Liverpool a fee of €150 million (£132 million). The forward is set to earn €12 million (£10.6 million) a year, with the deal almost over the finish line.
Griezmann
Guillem Balague has suggested Antoine Griezmann is on the verge of agreeing personal terms with Barcelona. Mundo Deportivo claimed Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu has had dinner with Griezmann’s parents and sister, who manages the player’s affairs, and the club are looking to tie him down to a deal that would see him move in the summer.
The France international has been one of the top attacking players in Europe down the years and it’s little surprise to see top clubs chasing him ahead of next summer.
Not even Atletico’s complaint to FIFA over an alleged illegal approach for the France international by Barca’s public pursual of their star is likely to stop the move from happening, with Barca director Guillermo Amor as good as admitting the meeting took place. Now that Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone has lifted the lid on the situation surrounding star man Antoine Griezmann. Last week, Simeone admitted that he would not stand in the way of Griezmann if he asked to leave.
“If a player comes to me and says: ‘Coach, I have a once in a lifetime chance to play for a certain team, I want to leave’. If he did all he could for me as Griezmann does, I’ll say it’s no problem,” he told L’Equipe.
“I know that he needs to grow. Of course Griezmann will be able to leave at some point, the same way [Diego] Costa and Arda Turan were allowed to leave.”
Reports recently have suggested that Barcelona have a deal to bring the Frenchman to the Nou Camp, while Manchester United remain interested in his services.
In August, Griezmann’s former agent Eric Ohalts revealed that the France forward would have moved to Manchester United in the summer had FIFA not upheld a transfer ban that stopped the Madrid club from buying any reinforcements, and now Barca are ready to swoop.
Manchester United were the only ones to put in a massive offer for the player in the summer. It was basically all agreed, the player was happy to go and then he thought about it twice because Atletico Madrid couldn’t sign anyone(due to FIFA’s Ban) and he decided to stay on. Now Manchester United are waiting to see what his decision will be.
Barca still have full coffers after receiving €222 million from the world record-busting sale of Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain and Griezmann’s €100 million buyout clause means the club only need to agree personal terms, avoiding the problems they encountered when they failed to sign Philippe Coutinho from Liverpool in August.
However, Spanish football expert Balague believes Barcelona remain the favourites over Manchester United to sign Griezmann.
“It’s very close. If he hasn’t been signed it’s because he cannot be signed but they’re very close to agreeing personal terms with Griezmann,” Balague told Sky Sports podcast ‘Transfer talk’.
“Out of those two teams, it sounds like Barcelona are favourites, but we’ll see how it goes.”
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