MX23RW : Sunday, February 16 20:45:52| >> :60:1004:1004:

Barcelona's pursuit of Philippe Coutinho 'leaked'

Leaked emails reveal that Liverpool asked Barcelona to "stop harassing" Philippe Coutinho over the summer.

Liverpool allegedly asked Barcelona to "stop harassing" Philippe Coutinho as the La Liga giants attempted to woo the Brazilian to Spain over the summer.

The 25-year-old was heavily pursued by Ernesto Valverde's side over the summer but the Reds were adamant that he was not for sale, rejecting three bids from Barcelona, including a top offer of £114m.

According to leaked emails published today by German newspaper Der Spiegel, Barca's first offer of £72m on July 20 was flat out rejected, as was a subsequent offer of £90m in early August.

The second offer was turned down by Reds sporting director Michael Edwards, who also said: "I ask you amicably to stop harassing Coutinho publicly and privately. No amount of money will change our minds."

The emails also reveal that the final rejected offer was to the tune of £114m, while personal terms for Coutinho would have seen him earn £101m over his five-year contract and his agent would have been in line for a £9m payment.

The leaks also corroborate Liverpool's insistence that they did not demand €200m (£183m) for the Brazilian in the final throes of the transfer window.

ID:307952: cacheID:307952:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:2246:
Written by
Neil Wilkes
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Schalke's midfielder Leon Goretzka (L) and Bayern Munich's Spanish midfielder Xabi Alonso vie for the ball during the German first division Bundesliga football match FC Schalke 04 vs FC Bayern Munich in Gelsenkirchen, western Germany, on November 21, 2015
Read Next:
Barca hoping to land Goretzka in January?
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool25186160243660
2Arsenal25158251222953
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest25145641291247
4Manchester CityMan City25135752351744
5Bournemouth25127644291543
6Chelsea25127647341343
7Newcastle UnitedNewcastle2512584233941
8Fulham2510963833539
9Aston Villa2510873538-338
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton2591063838037
11Brentford25104114342134
12Tottenham HotspurSpurs25931349371230
13Crystal Palace257992932-330
14Everton257992731-430
15Manchester UnitedMan Utd2585122835-729
16West Ham UnitedWest Ham2576122947-1827
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves2554163554-1919
18Ipswich TownIpswich2538142350-2717
19Leicester CityLeicester2545162555-3017
20Southampton2523201957-389


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!