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What’s the story?
Barcelona are doing all they can to get a midfielder signed this summer. The club have held talks for a lot of players but have not managed to strike a deal.
However, Express reports suggest that Barcelona have agreed personal terms with Philippe Coutinho. This comes less than a day after SPORT reported that the Brazilian informed Liverpool that he wanted to move to Camp Nou no matter what.
The Sun reports that Barcelona are more than happy to make a 4th bid for the Premier League star. The new bid is said to be around £90 million!
In case you didn’t know...
Barcelona have been hunting for a long term replacement for Andres Iniesta. The Spaniard's contract at the club ends at the end of the 2017/18 season.
Reports suggest that he will not be extending his contract and also that he's informed the club about this decision. The Catalan side are now hunting for replacements and Valverde is keen on signing one of Marco Verratti, Philippe Coutinho and Thiago Alcantara this summer.
The heart of the matter
With a move for Verratti not materializing, Barcelona decided to pursue other targets. They had severals bids for the Paris Saint-Germain star rejected as the Ligue 1 side were reluctant to hold talks with the Catalan side.
Barcelona's move for Coutinho hasn't been easy either. They have had three bids rejected by Liverpool with the manager, Jurgen Klopp, insisting that the club will not sell the Brazilian at any cost.
The first bid launched for Coutinho was reportedly around £72 million, the second around £76 million and finally, the third bid rejected yesterday reportedly being £80 million.
However, Barcelona have now received a massive boost in their move to sign Coutinho. The midfield magician has agreed personal terms with the club and has also informed Liverpool that he wants to join the Spanish side this summer.
What’s next?
Klopp is reportedly pleading with Coutinho to make sure that he does not leave at any cost this summer. The Reds want to challenge for the Premier League title and are also back in the Champions League after a long hiatus.
Author’s take
Coutinho to Barcelona looks unavoidable right now. The Brazilian star's best friend, Neymar was the main reason for him pushing for a move but despite him moving away, if Coutinho is interested in joining the Camp Nou side, it must be the hunger for trophies.
