Barcelona signs Coutinho: Killing two birds with one stone!

(Baonghean.vn) - Catalan-based radio station RAC1 reports that the Camp Nou team has reached a personal agreement with Brazilian star Coutinho. This deal will be a huge victory for Barcelona in the transfer market.

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For about a year, Barcelona has been eager to bring Coutinho to Camp Nou to replace midfielder Iniesta, who is no longer at the peak of his form. However, Liverpool's determination has deterred the Catalan club's leaders. In fact, in the order of priority for transfer targets outlined by the Barcelona board, the 1993-born player ranks behind midfielder Marco Verratti – who is currently on the books of PSG.

Unable to convince president Al Khelaifi regarding Marco Verratti, the Camp Nou club has restarted negotiations for Coutinho as a temporary solution. However, the factor driving Barcelona's management to try and sign the Brazilian player at all costs is the unfavorable developments stemming from PSG's attempt to poach Neymar by breaking his £196 million contract.

The Brazilian star is on his way to Camp Nou. Photo: Internet.

Naturally, President Bartomeu and his associates couldn't just sit idly by and wait for things to go wrong. Alongside persuading Neymar to stay, Barcelona quickly implemented a plan to strengthen their squad. If the number 11 player decided to leave, the left winger position would immediately have a new star to fill it. After careful consideration, no one seemed more suitable than Liverpool's Coutinho.

The 24-year-old's talent is undeniable. Furthermore, Coutinho possesses outstanding qualities that attract Barcelona, ​​such as experience in various leagues (SERIE A, La Liga, Premier League, Champions League...). Therefore, bringing Coutinho in to replace Neymar wouldn't be a bad solution for those in charge at Camp Nou.

The impact on Neymar's decision.

As the passive party in the PSG-Neymar deal, Barcelona's only option is to "beg" the Brazilian star to stay. The only way to achieve this is to meet Neymar's demands. Money is of no use at this point, as it's very difficult for Barcelona to compete with the French club. Besides, the main reason Neymar wants to leave Camp Nou isn't necessarily about money.

Neymar has repeatedly urged Barcelona to sign Coutinho. It's not surprising that the former Santos player has expressed this opinion. In the Brazilian national team, Neymar and Coutinho form a very effective partnership. The impressive recent achievements of the yellow and green team (being the first team to qualify for the 2018 World Cup) owe a great deal to Neymar and Coutinho.

The Neymar-Coutinho duo played very well together for the Brazilian national team. Photo: Internet.

Not only that, but off the pitch they are very close friends. Both Neymar and Coutinho want to play together at their respective clubs. Therefore, witnessing Barcelona ignoring Coutinho to pursue Marco Verratti has made Neymar very upset. According to rumors, the reason the 1992-born player hasn't made a decision about staying or leaving is because he's waiting for the final outcome of the negotiations between Barcelona and Coutinho.

If Barcelona successfully acquires Coutinho, Neymar might change his mind and switch sides with PSG to stay at Camp Nou. The prospect of playing alongside his talented best friend could sway him. With another valuable partner by his side, the 25-year-old would no longer have to fear Messi's overwhelming presence. His ambition to win the Ballon d'Or would be closer than ever.

This shows that the initial success of the Coutinho deal is a shrewd move by Barcelona in the transfer market. On one hand, it prepares for the possibility of Neymar leaving the team, and on the other hand, it directly influences the Brazilian star's decision. Keeping Neymar would be great, but not having him wouldn't matter either. Barcelona's signing of Coutinho is truly killing two birds with one stone.

Thanh Hung