Rumour Debunking: No-Go for Rafinha and Andre Gomes

The Spanish press is really having a laugh over this whole Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona business. Whether it is a comically low-ball £72 million bid, a yet-to-come slightly better but still low-ball bid, a super-rare player-plus-cash swap, or reporting that Coutinho “isn’t really a priority anyway,” the stories have been coming thick and fast. And just as fast as they can be debunked, more bunk just seems to come right back to the surface.

In a press conference yesterday, Liverpool Jürgen Klopp reiterated the club’s stance: Coutinho is not for sale. And today, The Echo, debunked the player swap rumor (as if it were not obvious enough on its own merit). According to James Pearce, Liverpool are not interested in either Barcelona player Rafinha or Andre Gomes. They are not interested in them as makeweights for Coutinho. They are not interested in them individually. They do not want Rafinha in a box. They do not want Gomes with a fox.

None of this should be shocking, but it is good to put these rumors to bed one by one, not that it will stop these rumors from continuing unabated. No matter how many times the Coutinho-to-Barcelona zombie rumor is shot in the head and buried, it inevitably returns the following day. Maybe try feeding it some brains next time?