Rumour reel: Liverpool and Barca locked in dispute over Coutinho
Klopp wants to hold on to his star
Manchester City have been amongst the most active teams during the summer transfer window, splashing the cash to bring an impressive list of big names to the Etihad, and boy does it show! The Citizens hammered Real Madrid 4-1 in a friendly, getting fans excited.
There was no debut for new boy Benjamin Mendy however, Pep Guardiola telling fans the £52m signing will be out for two to three weeks, meaning he may just miss the start of the new Premier League season. Here’s a look at what’s making headlines in the transfer news on Friday.
Liverpool price Coutinho at £133m
Barcelona want Liverpool attacker Philippe Coutinho, but The Reds don’t fancy selling him. Two teams accustomed to getting their own way, it’ll be interesting to see how this one plays out. As always, it’ll be down to the player where he wants to be. Hand in a transfer request, throw a tantrum and his contract at Anfield isn’t worth the paper it’s written on. However, if the English side are going to lose their Brazilian star, they’ll make sure they get paid well for him. Jurgen Klopp and his board have slapped a £133m price tag on the head of Coutinho, meant to scare off Barca, but will it work? It’s unlikely the La Liga giants will meet that asking price, but the figure will ensure they up their offer significantly if they want their man. We think it’ll have the desired effect and Barcelona will move on, as they’ve already threatened to do.
Bale to United back on the cards
We thought we’d heard the last of this one, but the Gareth Bale to Manchester United story has crept back into the news again. It’s no secret Jose Mourinho wants a big-name player to finish off his summer recruitment drive, and has been linked with the likes of Ronaldo, Neymar and Bale in recent months. The Neymar story was a non-starter, but it was believable Ronaldo could be swapped for David de Gea plus cash. Madrid are long-term admirers of the United shot-stopper, but Jose spoke to the press recently, saying his goalkeeper is going nowhere this season. So, that put an end to that. But, with Real Madrid likely to make a £160m bid for in-demand scorer Kylian Mbappe, that could force Bale to move on. The player has already hinted he’d welcome a move to Old Trafford, if pushed out of Spain, and we’re sure there’s more to come on that one.
Villa to cash in on Hutton
Scotland defender Alan Hutton is now in the final year of his contract at Aston Villa, and it’s thought his employers will look to cash in on the right-back, now 32 years old, rather than risk losing him for free later down the line. The former Rangers man is not without his admirers either, Championship clubs Sheffield Wednesday and Sunderland said to be interested. Hutton played for The Black Cats on loan in 2010, and would welcome a return, with the recently relegated club aiming to force their way back up to the Premier League at the first time of asking. Villa supporters wouldn’t let their favourite go without a fight.
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