The Neymar saga ended much faster than I thought it would be but in return are doing what I was expecting Barcelona to do at PSG and this has turned great. First of all if they get Coutihno they will be overpaying for him while leaving without reinforcing the positions they really need to have a balance squad so long term it would be better for Barcelona to not pay tham much for him and make more sensible purchases in the near future, but their fans are going to rage if they don't get anyone. So Liverpool better hold strong and try to squeeze every euro they can from them.
Philippe Coutinho
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I'm not sure if you can resolve this.
Coutinho doesn't want to stay and it seems he'll be disruptive. He needs to go. As you said though you haven't got any of your main targets so not sure what good the money does for you right now. Other teams will also be difficult to negotiate with when they know of your windfall and you don't have long to get business done.
Horrible situation to be in.
Coutinho poster taken down from club shop (twitter link, as I can't embed)
Not sure if this is legit (or if it's been posted before), but pretty damning if true...
Not sure if this is legit (or if it's been posted before), but pretty damning if true...
Perhaps Coutinho has an entirely valid reason to be upset but as we can see the situation at the moment I'm glad Pool is showing some balls here. If they keep refusing to sell - Ban him to the bench that little fecker.
What's with the thread title? I went through the last few pages of the thread since the last bid was refused expecting an update that prompted the title change but didn't see any.
Liverpool are behaving like idiots, as usual. They shot off their mouths to the press and now instead of this being a business and footballing decision has become an emotional and egoistic decision because they won't be able to back down from their rigid stand in front of the media.
From a footballing sense, they don't need him really. They have ample cover for his position and they have been scoring goals for fun. He is hardly going to make too much of a difference. Also, he isn't a leader off the pitch so the loss their is negligible too.
From a business point of view, this is crazy money. He is definitely not going to be worth this much next summer when Barca will have time to pursue other players. This money will help Liverpool actually add some meat to their offers for VVD and Keita and get those over the line. That will improve then massively.
I am really happy that they have driven themselves to a corner on this one. They won't be able to strengthen the defence and will have to babysit a disgruntled player who lost a dream move.
From a footballing sense, they don't need him really. They have ample cover for his position and they have been scoring goals for fun. He is hardly going to make too much of a difference. Also, he isn't a leader off the pitch so the loss their is negligible too.
From a business point of view, this is crazy money. He is definitely not going to be worth this much next summer when Barca will have time to pursue other players. This money will help Liverpool actually add some meat to their offers for VVD and Keita and get those over the line. That will improve then massively.
I am really happy that they have driven themselves to a corner on this one. They won't be able to strengthen the defence and will have to babysit a disgruntled player who lost a dream move.
Barca should absolutely wait until January or next summer, and then activate the release clauses of Griezmann and Koke. Although I need clarification on the amount of the latter's as he recently signed a new contract.
Coutinho isn't worth all this. Alternatively, I'd be all over bringing Thiago Alcantara back to the Camp Nou. Perfect Barca player. Crazy they fecked up so badly in losing him.
Coutinho isn't worth all this. Alternatively, I'd be all over bringing Thiago Alcantara back to the Camp Nou. Perfect Barca player. Crazy they fecked up so badly in losing him.
Have you just found a way to beat the newbie post limit by editing a reply into previous posts of yours and tagging the member you're replying to? Well done!
Could someone explain what's with the fecking title?
Lallana's out for 3-4 months and they don't need the money. They were bidding 70m for Keita before Barca came calling for Coutinho.
@KM is probably the one behind the title. It's in the wee hours now though so it might not get changed until later. Not sure if he was duped by a BS tweet or whether he has actually seen this info somewhere no-one else has.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/...rom-barcelona-for-philippe-coutinho-93bpqjv0n
It's in this article.
He has changed the article heading. When I saw the article, it was titled as Coutinho tells Klopp that he'll not play for the club again.
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Of course you are. What with Barcelona being our bigger rivals than Liverpool anyway. I bet you'd be torn if the two met in a CL final.
Barcelona are overpaying. They should just use the money to strengthen the midfielder and defence as much as possible so teams don't not suffocate their build up play.
They were replaced so that sleeve sponsor would be on display.
Let's not pretend that the contract he signed doesnt work in favour of Pool as well.
It's quite simple. It suited both parties at the time to sign that contract, Coutinho gets more pay and security against a long term injury, Pool for his prolonged service and/or the ability to extortionately price him if he wants out. Bringing loyalty or what not into the discussion is misguided.
Now Coutinho has the biggest opportunity of his life to make that step up. Next summer he might be injured, next summer Barca may want another prodigy, or another established player, next summer there might be a change in hierarchy/coach at Barca which wont fancy him. It's now or never. Pool are being offered money well over his worth, it's not like he's running his contract down and feck them over. Split amicably, or the next promising youngster they want to buy will look at this transfer and starts having second thought.
It's quite simple. It suited both parties at the time to sign that contract, Coutinho gets more pay and security against a long term injury, Pool for his prolonged service and/or the ability to extortionately price him if he wants out. Bringing loyalty or what not into the discussion is misguided.
Now Coutinho has the biggest opportunity of his life to make that step up. Next summer he might be injured, next summer Barca may want another prodigy, or another established player, next summer there might be a change in hierarchy/coach at Barca which wont fancy him. It's now or never. Pool are being offered money well over his worth, it's not like he's running his contract down and feck them over. Split amicably, or the next promising youngster they want to buy will look at this transfer and starts having second thought.
I dont buy into this reason one bit, these spanish clubs use that for the player to rebel so they can dominate the negotiations.
That's what Epl clubs needs to do, the messege should be sent by making an example, to break the cycle.
The cycle will be there regardless, until the moment Real and Barca cant afford them financially, like what happened with the Italian clubs. Real was in the shitter back in 09 but they took Ronaldo off us regardless.
Football is a business, you have to acknowledge a lost cause when you see it, grandstanding for the sake of it serves no purpose.
As for the timing of this transfer, you may be right, but look at it from the player's perspective. Are you willing to call their bluff knowing that if it's not, you miss out on your dream move?
i'm sorry but what? Not all clubs are bullied. The way you phrase it makes one think that currently, the top EPL clubs are bullied by their Spanish counterparts. Don't see United, City, Chelsea, Arsenal or heck even Spurs being put under such predicament.
Not play for the club again whilst being on a 5 year contract? Good luck with that... Pretty sure it's illegal and violates contractual obligations
Juventus signed Mautudi for less than 20 Million. I thought he would be a great fit for Barcelona.
Liverpool set the price, so pay up or feck off I'd guess. Best outcome for us is Liverpool telling Barcelona to feck off and Coutinho throwing a strop.
Liverpool set the price, so pay up or feck off I'd guess. Best outcome for us is Liverpool telling Barcelona to feck off and Coutinho throwing a strop.
It's interesting how, usually, transfer fees inflate from one summer transfer window to the next, but this summer, fees have inflated from the start of the window, to the end.
If Coutinho does go for £120M, it's going to make the likes of Lukaku and Moratta look positively good value or even cheap.
If Coutinho does go for £120M, it's going to make the likes of Lukaku and Moratta look positively good value or even cheap.
No , the cycle is not meant to stack up all the world class talents in the Spanish big two and spain and for them to dominate european football in the ucl forever and for epl clubs to get rolled over. They have managed to do it so far in this decade by breaking world records in terms of transfer fee and making it financially incapable for any other clubs to sign their players by setting up sky high release clauses, The cycle and the system in not meant to polarise the big businesses as dominant forces but to have a level playing field which is better for competition.
That's what they main point, Epl clubs are financially dominant with the tv deal and thus we see the massive increase in player prices all over the europe, But it should not mean the clubs including epl clubs should protect the spanish status quo and not have the ambition to compete in europe on the highest levels, and when rest of the europe can increase their player prices to defuse the advantage, so should the epl cubs do the same for their players to bridge the consistant gap which evolved in this decade due to the two best players playing in spain specially now with the brexit effect which certainly will have some effect for the epl clubs.
Football is a buisness, but also business booms the best when you have level playing field in competitons and unpredictability in terms of results, Its not meant to protect the status quo.
The players perspective changes massively with money and the ability to win the highest honours in the game, Also the fact is that Spanish big two and other spainish league sides do not care about the players perspective when they want out and do not hesitate to inflate the price or demand the money in full. Why should EPL clubs be any left behind to change those perspectives with the success of their product?
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Honestly I think there are even bigger issues at the club right now.
Our Manager has gone from being willing to shell out €70m on a midfielder, to being okay with the state of the midfield. He has also gone from having Virgil Van Dijk as a primary defensive target to no one. That indicates either 1) He is genuinely happy with Can, Henderson, Wijnaldum in midfield. Lovren, Matip, Klavan and Gomez in Central Defence or 2) The owners are not happy to back him in the way he wishes. I'm not sure which is worse and neither bode well for us.
This imo is a much bigger issue than the Coutinho business. The resolution is simple he can play for the reserves until such a time that he apologises to the manager and his team mates for his unprofessional conduct (if he has indeed said he does not wish to play for us again) Could you see him even lasting a month in world cup year? Suarez a much more spiteful and belligerent asshole apologised to Rodgers. A manager with much less clout than Klopp.
If you have seen us play in the past 2 games the furore around Coutinho has had pretty much nil influence. Our issues remain the same. We need better structure to our midfield and a better defender than Lovren. I.e a Proper defensive midfielder in the mould of Matic. We probably could get away with Can if he would be partnered with another midfielder who can take control of a game Rakitic possibly? Roberto might have it in him. As it stands we have midfielders who are better without the ball and have little to no creativity with it and at this point we are starting 2 of them each game conceding the battle in midfield before a ball is kicked.
I agree. There's alot going on behind the scenes at Liverpool as what's happened this summer just doesn't add up.
I'm of the opinion there are issues with FSG and Klopp. I don't think the money they say is available to spend is there. Klopp might have agreed to not kick off about it at the moment but the Coutinho saga might tip him over the edge.
Any shirt burnings or death threats to his kids yet?
Best fans in the werld la.
Best fans in the werld la.
The best outcome of this would be that they don't sell Coutinho, miss out on ~100mil and he acts up and fecks up the team spirit.
Pool lose, Barca lose, win win for us.
Pool lose, Barca lose, win win for us.
FSG's model is to buy young, cheap talent with great sell-on potential. In any other summer, Coutinho would be carted off to John Lennon Airport by the club themselves but because they've had a shite summer window thus far, they're holding firm.
There'll be riots at Anfield if he's sold and Liverpool don't get in some quality, particularly in defence and midfield. That's the only thing holding this back at the minute.
There'll be riots at Anfield if he's sold and Liverpool don't get in some quality, particularly in defence and midfield. That's the only thing holding this back at the minute.
You are describing what a contract is, just to neglect its meaning afterwards.
The prolonged service Liverpool raised his wages for is exactly what they are not getting by selling him. Liverpool did not give him more pay to have him sold shortly after. If Liverpool wants to compete with the biggest clubs in the league they cannot end up selling their best player all the time. Torres, Suarez and now Coutinho. It will never end. As soon as they have a world class player he will want to go somewhere else.
Besides, who will Liverpool replace him with? These inflated prices everyone is talking about doesn't mean anything. Clubs will know Countinho was overpriced and just overprice back on Liverpool in turn. Who would be available on the market that closes in two weeks time? Liverpool has nothing to gain by selling him other then getting rid of a player who seemingly don't want to play for them anymore. Maybe it's worth getting rid of him for that reason but it doesn't set the neccessary example they need for their ambitions.
I don't buy this once in a lifetime talk. I wanted to be a footballer or rock singer when I was young. I became neither but I am still happy. Coutinho plays for one of the biggest clubs in the world, earing shit load of money doing precisely what he loves to do. It is not a human rights to play for Barcelona. He should not have signed a new contract if he was not prepared to stand by its terms. I hope they keep him and put him on the reserves until he realises how badly he has behaved.
You seem to miss the part where I said a longer contract also means they can ask more for him once he wants out. It's either/or. They can refuse to sell him and have him rot in the reserve, doesnt matter one jot to me. My point is all this talk about honoring your contract and loyalty is a load of sanctimonious bullcrap. Albeit, Liverpool at the moment is not one of the biggest clubs in the EPL, let alone the world, so being stubborn with Coutinho will lead to young players eager for game time think twice about signing for them. They will look to Spurs, Everton, Atletico, Sevilla etc instead.
From his perspective, this might be one in a lifetime. A footballer's career is fraught with injuries, loss of form due to change in manager, falling out etc. He's not going to win silverwares at Pool anytime soon, and a year or two down the line a big club might not want him anymore. He's doing what he deems best for his career. It's between his camp, Pool and Barca to work out a solution.
I was thinking the same. "Let him rot in the reserves!" Please do.
Its' not about money though, is it? Even Barca in their current weakened state have more chances of winning major trophies than Liverpool.
I agree though that signing a contract with no release clause was pretty short sighted on his part. But as this is indeed his chance for a big break, neither he nor the club can be blamed for doing things their way as it is happening now. Both have legitimate grievances/intentions.
Here's the counter-argument from the player's perspective: signed a new contract five months ago worth £150k a week. Now Barcelona have offered me £300k a week. So that's what i'm worth now. Liverpool is costing me £7.8M a year right now. Thus, i want to do anything i can to convince them to allow me to go earn the career contract i've been offered
Lol the comments in that tweet from the pool fan and the response with the dancing salt shaker
Direct translation...
The Catalan press insists that Liverpool want more pasta by Coutinho. English club reiterates that simply they do not sell it! #NoEsLoMismo
There you have it folks, more pasta required.
Not sure barcelona is offering that much, probably just slightly more, but will they if the fee is set to be 150 - 160 m ? If barcelona had so much money to offer they would have offered it to neymar himself.
Liverpool are mad to refuse the latest offer from Barca. It is way over the players worth. Be great when Coutinho throws a strop and his form drops
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