All the latest Barcelona news
To secure his signing from Liverpool in January 2018, Barcelona had to pay the reigning European champions a whopping €160m in transfer fee.
Former Barcelona midfielder Ronald de Boer has blamed Lionel Messi for Philippe Coutinho’s failed spell at the Nou Camp, with the former Dutch international telling TalkSport [per Liverpool Echo] that Barca aren’t able to cope defensively when both the Brazilian and the Argentine are on the pitch.
Coutinho became the 2nd most expensive signing in world football when he moved to Barcelona in the 2018 winter transfer window. The 27-year-old had impressed during his time at Liverpool and even greater things were expected of him by his new side
However, while the Brazilian impressed during his first six months at the club with 8 goals and 5 assists to his name, the 2018/19 season proved to be his undoing. Coutinho managed only 5 goals in 34 La Liga appearances that season and was shipped off to Bayern Munich on loan in the following summer.
The 27-year-old’s ongoing stay at the Bavarian club has proved to be a fruitful one, with the former Inter Milan star scoring 8 and assisting 6 goals in only 15 starts for Bayern in the Bundesliga. Still, Barca look likely to offload him once his loan spell in Germany ends in the coming months.
Barcelona presidential candidate Joan Laporta has tried to rally supporters behind his cause by claiming that he’d try to bring former manager Pep Guardiola back at the club if he’s elected as the Catalan’s side president in next year’s election.
Guardiola has been by far the most successful Barca manager in the last two decades. The Spanish manager spent only four years at the club but guided his side to a whopping 14 trophies between 2008 and 2012.
He then left the club to join Bayern Munich before a one-year sabbatical was followed by the 49-year-old taking over the reins at Manchester City. The reigning Premier League champions have won back to back league titles under his tutelage and have set the UEFA Champions League as their next target.
Guardiola’s former boss Laporte is a huge fan of the Man City manager and would like to bring him back at the Camp Nou. He also told Catalan station TV3 that Guardiola is the benchmark for Barca and many of the club’s fans would like him to return to the club.
With both Ivan Rakitic and Arturo Vidal linked with moves away from the club, the Catalan outfit are reportedly in the transfer market for a new midfielder.
Miralem Pjanic is set to bid farewell to his Juventus teammates as the Italian international has reportedly agreed terms with Barcelona ahead of a summer move.
Pjanic, who has scored 22 goals in 167 appearances for the Turin-based club, joined Juventus from fellow Serie A outfit AS Roma in a €32m move in 2016.
Mundo Deportivo reports [via Forza Italian Football] that the 30-year-old has decided to end his 4-year long association with the Old Lady.
However, the report goes on to add that while the player is keen on the transfer, Juventus’ €70m valuation of him that they expect Barca to meet might prove to be a stumbling block in the negotiations.
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