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Hello and welcome to Sportskeeda's Daily Transfer Roundup. Though the summer transfer window is still a bit far away, there's no shortage of rumours as top clubs across Europe are already planning ahead of the next season.
Let's take a look at the top transfer news, rumours and updates of the day!
Philippe Coutinho wants to stay at Barcelona
Speculation has been rife over Philippe Coutinho's future as it doesn't seem to get any easier for the Brazilian at the Camp Nou. Widely tipped for a move to the Premier League with Manchester United, the former Liverpool midfielder has now come out and quelled all such claims.
Speaking to The Mirror, Coutinho said,
"My head is exclusively in Barcelona. Returning to England now does not fit into my plans.
"This is my second season here. I have won titles but I am always an ambitious and demanding player. So, I want more and more.
"But I'm happy. I wanted to play in Spain and I'm at the best club in Spain."
Coutinho also reserved choice words for their Champions League opponent and rumoured destination Manchester United.
“The tie is tough,”
“They have already shown what they can do by knocking out PSG and I think most people would say the tie is 50-50.
“Playing at Old Trafford is one of the best feelings a footballer can have. The atmosphere and the history are incredible and if, on top of that, you get a positive result, then it’s very special.
“I don’t have any particular advice for my team-mates because Barcelona are used to playing these big games and to having the second leg at home. Everyone wants to win this tie, not just me.
“In almost five seasons with Liverpool I had both good and bad results there [Old Trafford], so I’m not really thinking about the past. I only think about the present and knocking United out.”
Maurizio Sarri wants Kovacic to stay
Mateo Kovacic has been a good addition to the Chelsea midfield. The Croatian midfielder who found himself on the fringes at Real Madrid has cherished the opportunity to play more regularly at one of England's biggest clubs and has impressed fans and the manager alike.
However, Kovacic is on a season-long loan from Real Madrid and is set to return to the Santiago Bernabeu in the summer once the current season ends. Kovacic has played a much deeper role for Chelsea but has got into the good books of Maurizio Sarri as the Italian tactician tries to stamp his authority over the club.
Speaking about Mateo Kovacic, Maurizio Sarri said,
"I want to try with Kovacic,"
"He is only on loan, of course, but I'd like very much that Kovacic will stay with us."
‘You know very well that, in that position, we have some problems because we have only Jorginho. In my opinion, Kovacic could become a very good central midfielder.
‘Of course, he is not a defensive midfielder (at the moment) but, as you know, in that position I prefer a very technical player.
‘In the last match, Jorginho touched 161 balls. So, for us, it’s very important for us to have big quality in that position. Big quality not for the last pass, but big quality in terms of moving the ball.’
Romelu Lukaku's agent says he is open to playing in Italy amid interest
Romelu Lukaku has been showing signs of getting back to his best as of late. However, Marcus Rashford's resurgent form has seen the Belgian getting sidelined on more occasions than one. As a result, there have been plenty of rumours linking the big Belgian with a move away from Old Trafford.
Federico Pastorello, Lukaku's agent said,
“He sees a way to have a career playing in different countries because he would like to win some trophies and prove himself and say to his children: ‘I won there and I won there and I won there’ and ‘I was a very good player in all the top championships’.
“The competition for third and fourth place in England is very tight so let’s see what will happen in the future at the end the season.”
Juventus, Inter Milan and AC Milan are all interested in signing Lukaku.
Neymar Jr. wants Paris Saint-Germain to sign Philippe Coutinho
Neymar's switch to France hasn't entirely worked according to plan despite the Brazilian being virtually unstoppable on his day. However, Mbappe seems to be hitting the headlines just as frequently and as of late, several reports have suggested that Neymar has his heart set on a return to the Camp Nou.
Recently, fellow Brazilian Adriano claimed that Neymar regrets having left Barcelona. He said,
“I spoke with Neymar three weeks ago,”
“Everyone who has played for Barcelona and left has regretted it and I think, for him, even more so than most.”
Now with a return to Barcelona looking highly unlikely, Neymar has asked the PSG top brass o rope in Brazilian teammate and his replacement at Barcelona, Philippe Coutinho. Coutinho has endured some trying days at Barcelona and reports suggest that both the player and the club are thinking about putting an end to their union.
