Does Barcelona taking a closer look at Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil suggest that they are cooling their interest in Liverpool star Philippe Coutinho?
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has once again reiterated that Philippe Coutinho is not for sale among increased speculation that the Brazilian will leave for Barcelona.
Philippe Coutinho of Liverpool during the pre-season friendly match at Wigan Athletic.
“If you say he is not available to be sold, where is the interpretation?” Klopp said.
“The word ‘not’ means there is no interpretation. There is nothing new.”
However, a new development from Spanish publication Don Balon claims that the Catalans are also keeping tabs on Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil as an alternative to Coutinho.
Ozil has entered the final year of his current contract at the Emirates Stadium and although he looks set to stay with the Gunners despite not signing a new deal, the Spanish giants are hoping they can convince the North Londoners to sell with a bid of £53m.
Mesut Ozil of Arsenal runs to take a corner kick during the match against Western Sydney Wanderers.
This would represent an extremely good deal for the Premier League club, who signed the 28-year-old for £42.4m in the summer of 2013 (BBC).
It may also come as a sigh of relief at Anfield, with the Merseysiders adamant that Coutinho – who only put pen to paper on a new five-year contract in January – is going nowhere.
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