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Tag: Coutinho

  • Chelsea in talks over Coutinho EPL return

    Chelsea have opened talks with Philippe Coutinho about a return to the Premier League.

    The Barcelona midfielder, currently on-loan with Bayern Munich, is weighing up his options with the Germans expected to pass on signing him permanently.

    Sport says Chelsea have made their move, opening talks with agents for Coutinho.

    Chelsea enjoy a good relationship with the player’s prime agent, Kia Joorabchian, and are prepared to seek an outright deal with Barca.

    After seeking €120m to sell the Brazil international last summer, Barca are now willing to accept offers of €60m to clear him off their books.

  • Coutinho’s first goal fires Barcelona to Copa del Rey final

    Philippe Coutinho came off the bench to score his first goal for Barcelona as they reached the Copa del Rey final with a 2-0 win at Valencia, progressing 3-0 on aggregate.

    Coutinho was brought off the bench at half-time for his fifth appearance since his £142m switch from Liverpool last month and scored four minutes after the restart, sending the ball into the corner of the net having slid to meet Luis Suarez’s cross.

    Ivan Rakitic, also teed up by Suarez, then added the visitors’ second in the 82nd minute to secure progress to a showdown against Sevilla in what will be defending champions Barcelona’s fifth consecutive Copa del Rey final.

    Lionel Messi – restored to the side having only made a substitute appearance in the 1-1 La Liga draw at Espanyol on Sunday – saw an early free-kick saved by Jaume Domenech.

    Barcelona then had a scare as Rodrigo headed against their bar around the quarter-hour mark. Valencia threatened again in the 28th minute when Rodrigo’s shot was saved by Jasper Cillessen.

    Messi hit an effort just wide, and the closing stages of the first half saw Suarez miscue a shot inside the box, allowing Domenech to gather, before Valencia’s Geoffrey Kondogbia sent a shot into the side-netting having combined with Daniel Parejo.

    Barcelona changed things at the interval by bringing on Coutinho for Andre Gomes, and the Brazilian made a near-instant impact as he got his right leg to Suarez’s cross from the left to send the ball across Domenech and in.

    Suarez then curled an effort wide before Valencia substitute Carlos Soler went close at the other end, shooting the wrong side of the post.

    Barcelona were soon back on the front foot and Messi’s shot was parried by Domenech, with Gabriel and Ezequiel Garay then thwarting Messi and Rakitic.

    Coutinho tried his luck from outside the box, with Domenech making the catch, and Cillessen pulled off a superb save to deny Jose Luis Gaya.

    Rakitic then confirmed it would not be Valencia’s day as he lashed in having received the ball from Suarez, who had claimed possession by seizing on a misplaced Gabriel pass.

  • Liverpool, without Coutinho, out to halt Man City march

    The form table suggests Liverpool have realistic hopes of disrupting Manchester City’s waltz towards the Premier League title when they meet on Sunday, although they must quickly learn how to cope without Philippe Coutinho.

    The Brazilian playmaker completed a 142 million-pound ($192 million) move to Barcelona on Monday, meaning Juergen Klopp’s “fab four” up front is now just a three.

    Unbeaten City are 15 points clear at the top of the table, having scored more goals than anybody with 64, but fourth-placed Liverpool come second on that count with 50.

    Klopp’s side are unbeaten in 17 games in all competitions since they were thrashed 4-1 by Tottenham on Oct. 22.

    Egyptian winger Mohamed Salah is set to return from injury and he and Sadio Mane are likely to play either side of striker Roberto Firmino.

    Although Coutinho will no longer be able to provide the trio with ammunition, they still have the speed and guile to trouble Pep Guardiola’s side at the back.

    Former Liverpool midfielder Jason McAteer believes the Reds can get at City’s defense.

    “We know Manchester City’s quality, we know that they’re running away with (the league) at the minute, but I think, on their day, Liverpool can match anybody,” McAteer told the Liverpool website.

    “They’re so good going forward. You’ve got to be (wary) of the attacking prowess that they’ve got, but there are areas of weakness.

    “If you can get in between the lines and at the two centre-halves, which I feel we can, then there are chances and goals there.”

    City, however, will look to repeat their dominant 5-0 victory over Liverpool at the Etihad in September, although they will be without injured striker Gabriel Jesus, who scored a brace that day.

    This time they will have Virgil van Dijk in their way with the Liverpool defender set to make his Premier League debut after his move from Southampton.

    Van Dijk enjoyed a dramatic debut for his new team in the FA Cup, scoring late on against Everton to earn Liverpool a derby victory.

    City’s Belgian midfielder Kevin De Bruyne said his team would just focus on their own performance.

    “We go there to win the game, “he said.

    “They will have a very strong team and they want to be there for the Champions League (places).

    “We just try to do the things that we do well and then we will see what happens.”

    Second-placed Manchester United host Stoke City on Monday, the visitors currently without a coach after sacking Mark Hughes following their FA Cup defeat by League Two Coventry City.

    Coach Eddie Niedzwiecki is in temporary charge of the team for the trip to Old Trafford, with Jose Mourinho’s side anxious to keep ahead of the chasing pack behind Manchester City.

    The Portuguese has been embroiled in a war of words with Chelsea coach Antonio Conte, whose side host Leicester City on Saturday, when a victory would see them provisionally move above United into second.

    Tottenham host Everton on Saturday and Arsenal travel to Bournemouth on Sunday.

    Crystal Palace face Burnley, Huddersfield meet West Ham United and Newcastle United entertain Swansea City in other weekend matches.

  • FC Barcelona’s Coutinho ruled out for 3 weeks

    FC Barcelona’s Coutinho ruled out for 3 weeks

    Philippe Coutinho will not be able to make his FC Barcelona debut for about three weeks because of a thigh injury he sustained while at Liverpool, the Spanish club said on Monday.

    The Brazilian playmaker passed a medical on Monday during which FC Barcelona doctors analysed the injury which kept him out of Liverpool’s Premier League win over Burnley on Jan. 1.

    “Coutinho has an injury in his right thigh. He will be out for 20 days,” the Spanish La Liga leaders said in a statement.

    This means he is likely to make his debut in the Catalan derby against Espanyol on Feb. 4.

    FC Barcelona agreed a 142 million pounds deal with Liverpool on Saturday to buy Coutinho, who became their record signing.

  • Barcelona unveil Brazil midfielder, Coutinho at Nou Camp

    Philippe Coutinho’s £142m move to Barcelona was officially confirmed on Monday as the playmaker was unveiled to fans at the Nou Camp.

    The Brazilian, 25, signed a five-and-a-half-year contract alongside president Josep Maria Bartomeu, before performing keepy-uppies in front of supporters.

    A deal for Coutinho to join Barcelona from Liverpool was agreed on Saturday.

    “I want to thank the president and everyone who has made it possible,” said Coutinho.

    “I am very happy, it’s a dream come true and I hope to be up to the job on the field.”

    Bartomeu said the club had been pursuing Coutinho since last summer and that the Brazilian is “one of the world’s stars”.

    He added: “We knew it was not going to be easy to get him here. We’ve been talking and working for months on this, but one of the important aspects was he wanted to come here.

    “He helped make an effort, and he was patient, and that was been key in him coming here.

    “I also want to thank Liverpool, one of Europe’s biggest clubs, for allowing him to leave and come here.”

    Coutinho passed his medical, but it did show he has a right thigh injury – which kept him out of Liverpool’s 2-1 win at Burnley on New Year’s Day.

    Barcelona said the midfielder is likely to be out for about three weeks, meaning the earliest he could realistically make his debut is the Catalan derby against Espanyol on 4 February.

    BBC Sports

  • Philippe Coutinho says £142m Barcelona move is a ‘dream come true’

    Philippe Coutinho says £142m Barcelona move is a ‘dream come true’

    Brazil midfielder Philippe Coutinho says his move to Barcelona is a “dream come true” before his official presentation at the Nou Camp on Monday.

    The 25-year-old is set to join the Spanish giants after a £142m deal was agreed with Liverpool on Saturday.

    He took part in a brief photo session at the Nou Camp after Barcelona’s 3-0 win against Levante on Sunday.

    Coutinho will officially sign his contract at 11:30 GMT on Monday before being presented to the public.

    “Hi Barca fans, I am already here, it is a dream come true and I hope to see you tomorrow, ” he said in a video message on Twitter.

    Later, in an interview with BarcaTV, Coutinho added he was excited to be soon playing alongside the likes of Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.

    “It is incredible to know that I am going to live with idols, players with a lot of history,” he said.

    “Footballers like Leo Messi, Luis Suarez, [Andres] Iniesta, [Gerard] Pique, [Sergio] Busquets.

    “I am very happy to be able to live together, to be able to learn from them and be able to win together.”
    The playmaker will sign a five-and-half year deal and will have a buyout clause of 400m euros (£355m).

    It is one of the most expensive transfers of all time, eclipsed only by the £200m Paris St-Germain paid Barcelona for Neymar last summer, and the £165.7m Kylian Mbappe will cost PSG at the end of his initial loan spell from Monaco.

    Valverde on his £142m man

    Speaking after the Levante game, Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde said it was “too soon” to determine where Coutinho will play in his side.

    It has been speculated that he could play alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez in attack or become 33-year-old midfielder Andres Iniesta’s long-term successor.

    “We can take advantage of his versatility,” Valverde said.

    “He scores and sets up goals, and going forward he can help us a lot as he can play both inside and out wide.”

    Valverde is confident Coutinho can improve a side that is nine points clear at the top of La Liga.

    “I think he can bring a lot to the team,” he added.

    “He is here now, and good luck to him, because if he has luck then it will be good for us.”

    Barcelona midfielder Paulinho plays alongside Coutinho for Brazil and is looking forward to linking up with his compatriot at club level.

    “He is a great player, a magnificent player,” the former Tottenham player said.

    “I am certain he will really help Barca to attain our objectives this season.

    “We hope to see him playing for us as soon as possible.”

  • Liverpool midfielder, Philippe Coutinho close to £142m move to Barcelona

    Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho is understood to be close to completing a British record move worth about £142m to Barcelona after missing Liverpool’s mid-season break in Dubai.

    The 25-year-old Brazilian has a minor thigh injury and missed the club’s past two games, including Friday’s FA Cup third-round win against Everton.

    Liverpool rejected three offers from the Spanish side, as well as a transfer request from Coutinho, last summer.

    The last of those offers was for £118m.

    Coutinho is one of several Liverpool players to remain behind on Merseyside as manager Jurgen Klopp uses a free week to freshen up his players for next Sunday’s meeting with runaway Premier League leaders Manchester City at Anfield.

    Liverpool are hugely reluctant to lose Coutinho in the January transfer window as they pursue a place in the top four and have a Champions League last-16 tie against Porto coming up.

    Coutinho could not play for Barcelona in the Champions League if he joins this month having already played a key role in the Reds’ qualification for the knockout phase, but his continued desire to move and the Catalan club’s determination to land the playmaker makes a January switch increasingly likely.

    The player has craved a move to the Nou Camp since Barcelona first made concrete efforts to sign him last summer.

    Barcelona are now understood to be ready to offer in excess of £140m – but Liverpool would prefer Coutinho to stay and have no requirement for the money, meaning they would drive a hard bargain and any bid high on incentives could be dismissed.

    However, the Anfield club have not repeated their hardline “definitive stance” of last summer when they insisted Coutinho would not be sold and instantly rejected his request to leave.

    Sources in Spain claim discreet negotiations have taken place in recent days and there is a growing belief Liverpool are now fighting a losing battle to keep Coutinho.

    BBC Sports

  • Coutinho and Salah ruled out of FA Cup derby

    Coutinho and Salah ruled out of FA Cup derby

    Liverpool forward Philippe Coutinho will miss Friday’s FA Cup third-round derby with Everton with a thigh injury, boss Jurgen Klopp has confirmed.

    The Reds are braced for another Barcelona attempt to sign the Brazil player, 25, BBC Sport has learned.

    He also missed the recent win over Burnley but Klopp said: “I have nothing to say about it. All the things I could say now will only create stories.”

    Top scorer Mohamed Salah will also miss the match through injury.

    Liverpool rejected three offers for Coutinho, and a transfer request from the Brazilian, before the start of this season.

    Liverpool have refused to be drawn into any public debate over Coutinho’s future and Klopp maintained that stance at his pre-match news conference on Thursday.

    “I opened the door halfway because I mentioned it was the transfer window but there is nothing I can say about it which would help me, the player or the club.

    “Maybe 80% of the cameras are here for these answers – that’s a waste of time then.”

    He added that he expected Coutinho to be “available for the Manchester City game on 14 January”.

    The Reds’ home tie with Everton, which kicks off at 19:55 GMT, is live on BBC One and the BBC Sport website and app.

    Klopp also confirmed £75m defender Virgil van Dijk could make his debut.

    “Mo and Phil are not available. Virgil is obviously healthy, we’ll see what we do with him,” the manager

    BBC Sports

  • Liverpool yet to receive new bid from Barcelona for Philippe Coutinho

    Liverpool are yet to receive a new bid from Barcelona for Philippe Coutinho, but reports in Spain claim a renewed offer for the midfielder is imminent.

    Barcelona’s long-standing interest in the 25-year-old has been rekindled by the January transfer window and his continued desire to join the club.

    Liverpool are now braced for another attempt to secure a deal this month.

    Liverpool rejected three offers, and a transfer request from the Brazilian, before the start of this season.

    The last of Barcelona’s three bids was £118m – which included add-ons totalling in excess of £30m based on Coutinho winning the Ballon d’Or, and other built-in clauses.

    Barcelona will have to increase that last offer, without assorted clauses, to have any hope of resurrecting a deal.

    Meanwhile, Liverpool are refusing to be drawn into any public debate about an issue that provided an unwelcome backdrop to manager Jurgen Klopp’s planning for this campaign when it became a saga during the last close season.

    Liverpool will also know sanctioning a sale could impact on their pursuit of a place in the Premier League’s top four and the Champions League, where they face Porto in the last 16.

    Coutinho could not play for Barcelona in the Champions League having already represented Liverpool, but this has not cooled the Catalans’ intention of doing a deal this month.

    And in a bizarre twist, Coutinho’s name briefly appeared on a Nike advert for Barcelona shirts this week before being removed.

    Significantly, however, there has been no repeat of the hardline public stance Liverpool adopted last summer when the club issued a statement insisting “no offers will be considered” for Coutinho and this was a “definitive stance”.

    Coutinho, who joined Liverpool from Inter Milan for £8.5m in January 2013, was also told he would not be leaving in that summer transfer window in a meeting with Mike Gordon, president of Liverpool’s owners Fenway Sports Group.

    Liverpool manager Klopp has also sidestepped attempts to get him to confirm Coutinho will be staying at Anfield, saying: “In my business it makes absolutely no sense to talk about things that could maybe happen because that creates stories that are 90% of the time not true.”

    BBC Sports