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What’s the story?
Real Madrid have rejected the chance to sign Philippe Coutinho according to Diario GOL (via Daily Star). Kia Joorabchian, Coutinho's agent, had reportedly offered the player to Los Blancos but Zidane and Perez decided not to sign him.
While Diario GOL reports suggest that the Liverpool star was offered to Madrid for £72 million, Barcelona are being forced to pay over £80 million to sign him. The Reds are not willing to sell him at any cost to Camp Nou this summer.
In case you didn’t know...
Barcelona have had a bid rejected for Coutinho this summer. The Brazilian was the subject of a £72 million bid by the Catalan side but Liverpool rejected it.
Jurgen Klopp has insisted that he will not listen to any offers for the midfielder. Liverpool, on the other hand, are trying to sign a partner for him.
RB Leipzig's Naby Keita their #1 target but they face the same fate as Barcelona in the Coutinho saga. The German side have rejected a €80 million bid from Liverpool for the midfielder and are reluctant to negotiate.
The positive thing for Liverpool is that they can sign him for just £48 million next summer as he has a release clause that comes into play in 2018. However, the Reds are not giving up on their pursuit and are reportedly readying a €83 million bid.
The heart of the matter
Philippe Coutinho would have had his dream come true of playing the La Liga if Madrid would have decided to sign him. While his best friend, Neymar has been trying to bring him to Camp Nou, it was a move to Bernabeu that was more realistic for Coutinho.
However, Zidane did not wish to have him in his squad. He does not see him fit into his system and is only interested in signing a striker.
What’s next?
Barcelona will continue their negotiations with Liverpool for Coutinho. Should Paris Saint-Germain get hold of Neymar, the Catalan side would not hold back from spending as much as £100 million on the Brazilian.
If Neymar does move to PSG, might also signal the end of Coutinho's desire to move to Barcelona. In the end, it might be all or nothing for Barcelona.
Author’s Take
Coutinho is a better fit for Barcelona than Real Madrid. It's a wise decision made by Zidane not to sign him. Spending £72 million on him would have just been a waste.
