Sky Sports journalist Guillem Balague has claimed on Twitter that Barcelona are yet to make any new bids for Liverpool star Philippe Coutinho, and must sell eight players by the summer to raise transfer funds.
The Brazilian playmaker has been linked with a move to Barca since the summer when the Spanish giants had several bids rejected, and speculation has been rife once again as the January window approaches.
Spanish outlet Sport recently reported that Liverpool and Barcelona were in daily contact over a move for the 25-year-old, and that the Reds’ world record signing of Virgil van Dijk made a move more likely.
However, Sky Sports journalist Balague, who is regarded as a reliable source for exclusive information on Spanish football, has now claimed that Barca are yet to make contact with the Reds ahead of the January window.
Balague also reported that Liverpool are not being forced into a sale after the van Dijk purchase, and that Barcelona were unable to afford both Coutinho and Antoine Griezmann, who is another key target for them.
He made the claims on his Twitter account on Sunday:
On Coutinho. There has been no meetings with Barcelona, FCB have put no new offer (yet), LFC have put no price to him, there was no promise from LFC to him to sell him now, LFC are not forced to sell, but… pic.twitter.com/nzYkt0KcK7
— Guillem Balague (@GuillemBalague) December 31, 2017
FCB want Griezmann and Coutinho, but can they pay for both? Not as it stands. They need to sell around eight players between now and the summer to reduce the huge wage bill (over 80% of income) and have transfer money available.
— Guillem Balague (@GuillemBalague) December 31, 2017
OPINION
Balague is a reliable source of information when it comes to Barcelona, and this is a seriously extensive update on the situation. Of course rumours had been raging in the Spanish press that a deal was close, but Balague seems to have dismissed that as pure conjecture. This is not to say that a deal won’t be completed for Coutinho in January, but it makes it seem a lot less likely than some have suggested. The revelation about Barca’s finances is an interesting one, and it sounds as though the club will have some serious shuffling to do in order to fit the Brazilian into the squad.