Quote Originally Posted by The Captain View Post
So maybe some of you guys can help me out. From everything I've read, the Spanish media creates stories to put Barca and Real Madrid in the best light, essentially creating its own hype machine? From every source I can find, Liverpool have no deal with Barca for Coutinho but every Spanish and La Liga source says he's already signed with them. What gives? Is this the European equivalent to "Fake News?".

Take care all.
For Liverpool, the only accurate journalists are James Pearce, Melissa Reddy and Paul Joyce. They've all said he's not going.

The only official thing that has happened is that Barca submitted a £72m bid a couple of weeks ago which was rejected. Since then, not a peep. With how modern football works, a club would not submit a bid unless it had sounded a player (his agents really) out about a move, so Coutinho would obviously be happy with a move to Barca - and I mean even the most dyed-in-the-wool Liverpool fan could see that it's a bigger and better club. With that said, by all accounts from those journalists he's also still happy at Liverpool and doesn't want to do a Sterling or a Van Dijk. If Liverpool get an acceptable offer, adios, if not, he'll stay.

I think two key factors are that his best and childhood friend Neymar was still at Barca two weeks ago when the bid was made but isn't anymore, and also with the World Cup coming up he needs to be playing regular football this season - will he be doing that at Barca? Regardless, I still think he wants to move but isn't "all in", I guess.

As far as the Catalan press is going, it's all been utter lies and bollocks. He's supposedly being on the brink of signing for two weeks. He was supposed to have been unveiled yesterday. A "Delegation" has been coming to Liverpool every day it seems... never mind that LFC's offices are actually in, whisper it, London!

Make no mistake, losing Neymar was a major humiliation for Barcelona and its president, Bartomeu. Some speculate the press are doing this to further undermine him to get him out - if this GUARANTEED 100% DONE move for Coutinho falls flat, it's a further stick to beat him with.

With that said, the Brazilian press has now also taken up the cause so I have no idea wtf because there isn't the Barca agenda there, and that has me slightly nervous. I can't see Liverpool selling this late in the window, and £72m by this transfer window's prices for Coutinho is a joke. That might've flown two years ago, but post-Pogba and post-Neymar? Especially when the club bidding for him has those Neymar funds in their pocket? Not a chance. With that said, with the right offer - one that makes him the second most expensive player on the planet - and it'll happen. Some rumblings from West Ham journalists that we've made tentative Lanzini enquiries also makes me nervous, but again he'll cost what, £40m? £50m? Football in 2017!