Philippe Coutinho will reportedly look to mend any rift with Liverpool this week, as Barcelona look prepared to throw the towel in on their pursuit of the player. The Catalans have had three bids rejected for the player this summer, the most recent one totalling £114m.
Coutinho has submitted an official transfer request in order to try and push the move through, but Liverpool still won’t budge on their insistence that the player is not for sale at any price. Barca have got the message and will set their sights elsewhere according to a report in the Independent.
The Brazilian has yet to play for Liverpool this season, citing a back injury. The Independent suggests he will look to smooth over any issues as he comes to terms with the fact that his preferred move to Barcelona will not happen.
The Independent’s report 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.”
Coutinho is not yet in full training and won’t feature for the club before the September international break, where he will be checked on before flying to Brazil to play qualifiers against Ecuador and Colombia.
