Barcelona transfer news LIVE: Express Sport brings you the latest updates from the Nou Camp
Saturday August 17
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Neymar has been left out of PSG’s squad to face Rennes
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Barcelona are preparing a final offer to PSG for the Brazilian
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Real Madrid have a potential advantage over Barca in the Neymar transfer battle
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Philippe Coutinho is set to have a medical with Bayern Munich tomorrow or Monday to join on loan
Final Neymar bid
Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has taken charge of negotiations for a transfer for Neymar as the La Liga champions plot one final bid for the Brazilian.
Spanish newspaper Sport say Barca will make one final push for a deal this weekend.
Barca and Paris Saint-Germain could have one more meeting after talks earlier this week.
The Catalan giants are said to be confident of completing a move.
The cost of any deal is still a problem for Barca, with PSG reportedly thought to believe an agreement can be found if Ousmane Dembele is included in the offer.
Coutinho loan fee
Liverpool will not pocket any of the loan fee Bayern Munich will pay Barcelona for Philippe Coutinho.
Spanish outlet Sport claimed that Liverpool stand to land the entirety of the €20m (£18m) loan fee as a result of money they are still owed by Barcelona after his £142m move in January 2018.
But the Liverpool Echo say that the Reds are only owed €5m for the Brazilian having already been paid €155m.
Philippe Coutinho medical
Philippe Coutinho will undergo a medical at Bayern Munich either tomorrow or on Monday, say the Bundesliga club.
Terms between Bayern and Barcelona were agreed last night for Coutinho to move to Bavaria on a season-long loan.
Bayern have the option to make the move permanent in 12 months’ time.
The 27-year-old will fly in to Germany in the next 48 hours to complete a medical.
Sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic said: “I’d like to thank FC Barcelona.
“Obviously we still have to finalise a few details, but we’re delighted to be bringing this player to FC Bayern.”
Real Madrid’s Neymar ‘card’
French football expert Jonathan Johnson says Real Madrid have a ‘significant card’ to play in the Neymar transfer saga with Barcelona’s arch rivals able to offer more attractive players in a cash-plus-player deal.
That is particularly the case with Philippe Coutinho headed for Bayern Munich, while Barca do not want to lose Nelson Semedo.
“Real Madrid have a significant card to play if they choose,” Johnson told the Transfer Talk Podcast.
“They have some players who maybe Zinedine Zidane does not want, who could form part of the deal. And Real do also have more financial flexibility than Barcelona at this time.
“But it seems at the moment that the best thing Real are doing, from a PSG point of view, is putting pressure on Barcelona because there’s no greater motivation for Barcelona to make a deal for Neymar than to avoid him going to Real Madrid!
Neymar absent for PSG again
Neymar has been left out of Paris Saint-Germain’s squad to face Rennes tomorrow (8pm).
The 27-year-old forward missed the win over Nimes last Sunday as fans held up a banner making their feelings towards the wantaway Brazilian known.
PSG sporting director Leonardo had also hinted before the game that Neymar was increasingly closer to sealing an exit.
Thomas Tuchel says Neymar is not yet fully fit and “won’t be with us”.