Barcelona transfer news: Cash plus player for Coutinho, Messi wants Premier League star, and more - 12th November 2017

Barcelona ready to offer Andre Gomes plus cash for Coutinho

The long-drawn saga between Barcelona and Liverpool for Philippe Coutinho stretched beyond the summer as the Reds' owners, Fenway Sports Group (FSG), rebuffed every bid from the Spanish side. However, Barcelona have refused to give up on the player and are looking to sign the player in one of the two transfer windows in January.

Now, Don Balon reports that the club is willing to add Andre Gomes to the deal, as a sweetener. The Portuguese has failed to make an impact at Camp Nou since his arrival in 2016 and is reportedly not high in the pecking order for the new manager, Ernesto Valverde.

Hence, Gomes has been linked with a move away from the club for quite some time now with several clubs interested to sign the player in January. Hence, it is no surprise that the 24-year old will be allowed to leave, especially if it secures the deal for Coutinho.

On the other hand, Gomes might not be the type of player Jurgen Klopp wants in his side, with Naby Keita waiting to join the club in 2018 from RB Leipzig. While one can only guess which direction the saga will move in next, it is fair to say there will be a few more twists and turns before this ends, and hopefully, Coutinho will be a Barcelona player, to the fans' delight.

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Lionel Messi tells club to sign Dele Alli

Alli is one of the best young players in world football

The 21-year old midfielder has grown leaps and bounds under Mauricio Pochettino's tutelage at Tottenham. Alli's double against Real Madrid in the Champions League at Wembley showcased the player's immense ability and caught the attention of teams across Europe.

While Alli's team-mate, Harry Kane, continues to receive praise from all quarters, Alli continues to be second in that pecking order. However, Barcelona's Lionel Messi thinks otherwise and has told club officials to bring the Englishman to Camp Nou, as per Spanish newspaper Don Balon.

The Argentine is reportedly a huge admirer of Alli and wants the Spurs youngster to replace the likes of Ivan Rakitic and Andres Iniesta at the Spanish club. Previously, another Spanish outlet, Marca, reported Real Madrid's interest in the player as he continues to be consistent across seasons.

Hence, this could turn out to be a battle between the arch-rivals for the services of the attacking midfielder. However, any deal for the talented Alli will cost a fortune as Spurs chairman, Daniel Levy, is known to be a tough negotiator and will not sell the player for anything less than £150 million.

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Barcelona rejected the chance to sign Aubameyang

Barcelona preferred to sign Ousmane Dembele over Aubameyang

The Gabon international is regarded as one of the most clinical strikers in world football and has scored 135 goals in 206 games for Borussia Dortmund, highlighting his world-class ability. Further, Aubameyang is one of the quickest players in the game and is the focal point of the German side's scintillating counter-attacking football.

No wonder, Chelsea were rumoured to bring in the striker after missing out on Romelu Lukaku to Manchester United. However, the move failed to materialize and meanwhile, the London club went ahead to sign Alvaro Morata from Real Madrid.

However, in a surprising revelation, Mundo Deportivo report that Barcelona were offered the chance to sign the 28-year old as a replacement for Neymar. While Aubameyang is not a like-for-like replacement, his goalscoring ability and pace would have served the Blaugrana well. Nevertheless, Ernesto Valverde rejected the opportunity to sign the striker and instead bought his team-mate, Ousmane Dembele.

The 20-year old plays on the wings, is adept with both feet and has a level head on his shoulders, making him a better short-term and long-term prospect for Barcelona. Nonetheless, it remains a surprise that the Spanish club rejected the opportunity to sign one of Europe's best forwards.