BARCELONA COACH ERNESTO Valverde shrugged off speculation over an imminent swoop for Liverpool star Philippe Coutinho on Wednesday by insisting: “I prefer the players I currently have in the team.”
Brazilian international forward Coutinho has been linked with a 150 million euro (£134 million) switch to the Spanish giants in the current transfer window just as he was when the English side thwarted a series of approaches from Barca last summer.
“I have nothing to say on the subject of Coutinho, he isn’t one of our players,” said Valverde.
Advertisement
“He is at another team and we respect the fact that he is at another team. He is a great player and we don’t know what is going to happen in the future.
“However, I much prefer the players that I currently have in my team and they are the ones who concern me.”
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has also refused to get caught up in the feverish speculation over the 25-year-old’s immediate future.
Rumours of a move to the Camp Nou were fuelled by pictures -– subsequently removed — of a Barcelona shirt with Coutinho’s name appearing on the website of Nike, the Catalan club’s kit manufacturer, over the weekend.
“I heard about it. Somebody told me and I thought ‘wow’. But I couldn’t be less interested in anything in the world!” Klopp said.
The42 has just published its first book, Behind The Lines, a collection of some of the year’s best sports stories. Pick up your copy in Eason’s, or order it here today (€10):
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Close
13 Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic.
Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy
here
before taking part.
Coutinho? I prefer my players, says Barca coach
BARCELONA COACH ERNESTO Valverde shrugged off speculation over an imminent swoop for Liverpool star Philippe Coutinho on Wednesday by insisting: “I prefer the players I currently have in the team.”
Brazilian international forward Coutinho has been linked with a 150 million euro (£134 million) switch to the Spanish giants in the current transfer window just as he was when the English side thwarted a series of approaches from Barca last summer.
“I have nothing to say on the subject of Coutinho, he isn’t one of our players,” said Valverde.
“He is at another team and we respect the fact that he is at another team. He is a great player and we don’t know what is going to happen in the future.
“However, I much prefer the players that I currently have in my team and they are the ones who concern me.”
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has also refused to get caught up in the feverish speculation over the 25-year-old’s immediate future.
Rumours of a move to the Camp Nou were fuelled by pictures -– subsequently removed — of a Barcelona shirt with Coutinho’s name appearing on the website of Nike, the Catalan club’s kit manufacturer, over the weekend.
“I heard about it. Somebody told me and I thought ‘wow’. But I couldn’t be less interested in anything in the world!” Klopp said.
- © AFP, 2018
The42 has just published its first book, Behind The Lines, a collection of some of the year’s best sports stories. Pick up your copy in Eason’s, or order it here today (€10):
Arsenal complete signing of young Greek defender Mavropanos>
Norwich announce signing of highly-rated Irish teenager>
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Camp Nou Claim Jurgen Klopp Philippe Coutinho Premier League Barcelona Liverpool Transfer News