Liverpool Star Philippe Coutinho Reports for Training, Will Not Be Sold to Barcelona

Last week, the Catalan press said that Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona was a done deal and that he would be unveiled ahead of the club’s Joan Gamper Trophy match. That deadline has passed, and so today we see a fresh flurry of reports bubbling up out of the Catalan press setting a new deadline.

Once again, by the end of the current week, Coutinho to Barcelona is meant to be a done deal. Inevitably, the rumours have since been picked up by English tabloids, with some of the gutter press going so far as to claim the player didn’t show up for training today and is ready to force a move.

The only problem with that is that Coutinho showed up for training today and journalists with ties to the club and player continue to insist that while he would be open to a move if it could be done amicably, he is happy to remain at Anfield this season and would not be inclined to force a transfer.

There have also been reports in the Catalan press today—since also picked up by the worst of England’s tabloid press—that Barcelona have sent representatives to England and that Liverpool have decided they would be happy to send Coutinho to Barcelona for around €90M plus add-ons.

Given last week those same Catalan outlets—Mundo Deportivo and Sport—were suggesting a fee in the region of €120M, that’s a number that should be cause for skepticism. It’s also worth recalling journalists with ties to Liverpool have said the club wouldn’t even consider a £120M bid.

Further, while the Catalan press are claiming a delegation is heading to England—or perhaps is already there negotiating—Liverpool maintain they have not been in contact with Barcelona since they rejected their first bid more than two weeks ago and that they know nothing of a supposed new round of negotiations.

Despite the latest claims, Liverpool maintain that Coutinho is not for sale at any price, that the player took part in training today with his teammates and shows no signs of pushing for a move, and that they have not held recent negotiations with Barcelona and have no plans to do so in the coming days.

The club have most responded to the latest round of rumblings by reiterating, via The Echo’s James Pearce, that there are “no issues or concerns about Coutinho’s attitude” and that the player has “shown no signs of agitating for a move” after being told by Klopp that under no circumstances will he be sold this summer.

In short, despite another round of Catalan noise, nothing has changed—and, based on every ounce of information coming from Liverpool’s end, nothing is going to change between now and the close of the transfer window on August 31st.