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Barcelona Transfer News: Lionel Messi says he was promised Paulo Dybala by Barca chiefs
BARCELONA TRANSFER NEWS LIVE UPDATES: Latest on Angel Di Maria, Philippe Coutinho, Ousmane Dembele and more…
Thursday August 24
Dembele for £138m
17:55: Barcelona have agreed a deal worth up to £138million with Borussia Dortmund for Ousmane Dembele.
Barca have been trying to convince Dortmund to sell Dembele for the past few weeks after losing Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain for £200m.
According to beIN SPORTS, Barcelona have agreed a fee worth £110.6m (€120m) with Dortmund for the 20-year-old.
It is said the deal includes a possible £27.7m (€30m) in add-ons, taking the total transfer to £138.2m (€150m).
Rafinha to AC Milan
16:33: Rafinha has agreed to leave Barcelona and join AC Milan, according to reports.
Calciomercato claim Liverpool and Arsenal want to sign Rafinha.
But reports in Italy claim the player has agreed in principle to move to AC Milan.
Milan now have to work with Barcelona over a fee for the player.
Big spenders
14:00: Premier League spending in the current transfer window is already at an all-time record level, with a week remaining.
Figures released by Deloitte’s Sports Business Group showed top-flight clubs had spent £1.17billion on players this summer by 9am on Thursday, breaking the record of £1.165m set last year.
That was already a 34 per cent rise on the previous record for a single window – and with time remaining this time around the numbers could rise to even more breathtaking levels.
Barca are buying the wrong player!
13:15: As Barcelona seek to prise Brazilian midfielder Philippe Coutinho away from Liverpool ahead of the transfer deadline, fans of the Merseyside club may be relieved that at least the Spanish club are not bidding for Sadio Mane.
Another electric performance by the Senegal winger against Hoffenheim on Wednesday drew more rave reviews for a player who has become even more indispensable to Liverpool than the Brazilian.
Social media was full of jokes about whether Barcelona realise they are trying to buy the wrong player.
“If Coutinho’s 100 and odd million, then Mane’s 200 and odd million,” said former England striker Ian Wright in a Twitter post that captured the mood on Merseyside.
Bartomeu plots double talks
12:45: Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu is planning to speak to his Liverpool counterparts over a deal for Philippe Coutinho when they meet for the Champions League draw in Monaco today.
Liverpool beat Hoffenheim 6-3 on aggregate to book their place in today’s 5pm group stage draw.
Delegates from all 24 Champions League clubs will descend on the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco and Bartomeu hopes he will be able to speak to officials from Liverpool as Barcelona wait to discover their opponents.
That is according to Barcelona-based newspaper Mundo Deportivo, who claim Bartomeu will also seek out Borussia Dortmund’s chiefs to discuss a deal for Ousmane Dembele.
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Liverpool Transfer News: Barca will bid for Coutinho again – Balague
United fans are obsessed…
12:00: Manchester United fans are obsessing over whether Philippe Coutinho will leave Liverpool to join Barcelona.
A forum thread on popular United fans’ site redcafe.net has attracted nearly 3,000 posts and more than 270,000 views.
And it’s all over whether Coutinho will make a summer transfer to the Catalan giants.
Despite United doing their own impressive business – Romelu Lukaku and Nemanja Matic appear on course to be two of the signings of the window – it appears the subject of Coutinho is too good to miss out on.
One fan taunted Liverpool and wrote: “What’s hilarious about all this is he isn’t all that. They’d be much better off taking the money and sorting their defence and getting some depth. They’re going to have a s**te season.”
Another agreed and said: “Yes, I think they will come to regret it a lot if they don’t take the offer and Barca spends that money on someone else.”
Barca will bid for Coutinho again
11:00: Barcelona feel morally obliged to make another bid for Philippe Coutinho despite knowing it will fail, according to Guillem Balague.
Barcelona are lining up a bid of £138m for the Liverpool star following his official transfer request.
Barca have already had three bids rejected, the last totalling £118m but being made up of a number of payments over time.
And Liverpool will not sell this close to the transfer deadline regardless of the figure Barca come up with.
“The offer FCB is preparing of €150 (110+40) for Coutinho is cause they feel morally obliged after his Transfer Request, but FCB pessimistic abt Couti/Dembl, looking for others,” Balague said on Twitter.
“LFC insist they will reject fourth offer (if & when), their stance is “definitive”.
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Barcelona transfer news: Angel Di Maria could leave Paris Saint-Germain?
Wenger unsure whether Barca want Coutinho
10:00: Arsene Wenger isn’t sure whether Barcelona want Philippe Coutinho.
The Arsenal boss was asked about Coutinho’s situation today with Barca having had three bids rejected by Liverpool.
Coutinho has handed in a transfer request, which Liverpool have knocked back, and his future remains up in the air with seven days left until the end of the transfer window.
But Wenger said: “I don’t know where he stands with Liverpool or they stand with him.
“I’m not even sure Barcelona are in for him, I don’t know.”
Messi to Man City
08:00: The Sun say Lionel Messi’s dad is in talks with Manchester City over a move away from Barcelona.
Jorge Messi supposedly met with Txiki Begiristain and discussed a move to England.
Messi Jnr is considering his options with Barcelona struggling.
The Catalan giants have so far been thwarted in their bids to sign Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele.
Messi promised Dybala
07.20: Lionel Messi has reportedly been told the club will sign Juventus hitman Paulo Dybala if Joan Laporta succeeds Josep Maria Bartomeu as president.
Barcelona are aiming to wrap up signings with moves for Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele in the works.
However, the Catalan giants are struggling to lure names to the Nou Camp.
The money is there – they pocketed £198million from Neymar’s departure to Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain – but the La Liga giants have struggled to get their business over the line.
Lionel Messi looks visibly frustrated on the pitch, and reports in Spain have suggested the Argentina international may even quit if Barcelona fail to sign a Galactic name.
And Diario Gol say that the 29-year-old has been promised the signing of Dybala by Laporta if he becomes president again.
Coutinho statement
22:42: Philippe Coutinho could be prepared to make a statement in order to push through his move to Barcelona.
Coutinho is willing to say that Liverpool is making his life miserable and that he wants to leave,” a source told Yahoo Sport.
“He has been very patient, but at the end of the day it is his option as a player to leave the club – and he wants to do exactly that.”
Willian move
20:20: Barcelona have opened talks with Chelsea winger Willian.
France Football claim the club have turned their attention to the 29-year-old after failing to land Liverpool star Philippe Coutinho.
The report suggests Barca officials are in contact with Willian to discuss the possibility of a deal.
Di Maria deal agreed?
19:45: Barcelona have agreed a £46m deal with Paris Saint-Germain for Angel Di Maria, according to reports in Spain.
PSG lured Neymar away from the Nou Camp earlier this month for a world-record £200m.
And Spanish newspaper Sport say Barca have now agreed a deal with the player and had a £46m (€50m) offer accepted by PSG for the Argentina international.
Coutinho update
19:05: Sky Sports presenter Aidan Magee has offered an update on the Philippe Coutinho transfer saga.
“Barcelona refuse to give up on Philippe Coutinho,” he said.
“We understand they are prepared to make a fourth bid of up to £138m. That offer will consist of an initial payment of £101m up front with a further £37m in bonuses.
“Liverpool have rejected three bids already and insist they will keep him beyond next Thursday’s deadline.”
Dembele final bid
18:20: Barcelona are preparing a final bid for Borussia Dortmund star Ousmane Dembele.
The Mirror say Dortmund have given Barca a deadline of this Sunday to meet their £138.4m (€150m) valuation for the 20-year-old.
Dembele is currently suspended by Dortmund and has moved out of his home in Germany and returned to France.