Barcelona will make a firm assault on Philippe Coutinho when they have received the transfer fee for Neymar from Paris Saint-Germain.
The Brazilian is now their prime target, having prioritised him over Ousmane Dembele because the Blaugrana believe he is better suited to being an instant success at the Camp Nou.
While Coutinho is still young at 25, he has plenty of experience, an eye for goal and is capable of playing in multiple positions, which could be a vital skill for Ernesto Valverde’s side.
However, before making their move for the Liverpool playmaker, a decisive step must be taken and that is the collection of the 222 million euros owed to them from Neymar’s release clause being met.
A week ago, the former Santos man’s representatives made the payment at the Camp Nou offices but the amount has not yet fully entered into the Blaugrana’s coffers.
According to RAC1, citing sources within the club, the banking procedure to confirm that everything is in order has not yet been completed.
When that happens, Barcelona will finalise the transfer to the Spanish FA and the player will then be cleared to make his PSG debut.
At that time, the Azulgrana will then make their final assault on Coutinho, who will not leave Merseyside for anything less than 100 million euros.
Barcelona will be forced to fork out big time for the ex-Espanyol man as they have the money, the market has exploded, and supporters are impatient due to the lack of reinforcements.
It leaves very little room for manoeuvre for Josep Maria Bartomeu and Co, who will, in all likelihood, make Coutinho the most expensive player in Barcelona history.
While the clubs aims to reach an agreement despite strong opposition from Reds boss Jurgen Klopp, the Brazilian continues to miss training with an apparent back injury.
Ex-Liverpool hero Steven Gerrard has discussed the potential transfer and believes that Coutinho could follow the path of other South American stars such as Luis Suarez and Javier Mascherano.
“It is a difficult situation and is one which happens with South American players who in the past have said that their dream is to play for Barcelona,” said Gerrard on BT Sport.
“Liverpool will not let him leave easily but it is up to the player and he may have to start a war with the club for them to let him go.”
