Liverpool agree £142m deal with Barcelona for Coutinho

Liverpool have agreed a £142m deal with Barcelona for Brazil midfielder Philippe Coutinho in what will be the second most expensive completed transfer of all time.

The fee will only be eclipsed by the £200m Paris St-Germain paid Barcelona for Neymar last summer.

Coutinho, 25, joined Liverpool from Inter Milan for £8.5m in January 2013.

The Reds are expected to receive £105m up front from Barcelona and the rest in realistic add-ons.

Coutinho stayed behind on Merseyside while final negotiations were concluded as his Liverpool team-mates flew to Dubai for a mid-season break.

The formalities of the deal are now expected to be concluded in Spain within the next 24 hours as Coutinho finally secures the switch he has craved since the Spanish giants made their first move for him in the summer.

Liverpool rejected three Barca bids and a transfer request from the player during the summer transfer window.

The last of Barcelona's three bids was £118m - which included add-ons totalling in excess of £30m based on Coutinho winning the Ballon d'Or and other built-in clauses.

Coutinho only signed a new five-year deal, which did not include a release clause, with the Anfield club in January, having joined the Reds from Inter Milan in January 2013.

He has a minor thigh injury and missed the club's past two games, including Friday's FA Cup third-round win against Everton.

Coutinho will not be eligible to play for Barcelona in the Champions League in their last-16 tie against Juventus, having already played a key role in Liverpool's qualification for the knockout phase.

The world's biggest transfer deals

£200m - Neymar (Barcelona to Paris St-Germain) 2017

£165.7m - *Kylian Mbappe (Monaco to PSG - *loan deal with option to buy) 2017

£142m - Philippe Coutinho (Liverpool to Barcelona) 2018

£135.5m - Ousmane Dembele £135.5m (Borussia Dortmund to Barcelona) 2017

£89m- Paul Pogba £89m (Juventus to Manchester United) 2016

Coutinho in profile

Born in Rocha, Rio de Janiero on 12 June, 1992

Began youth career at Brazilian side Vasco de Gama

Bought by Inter Milan as a 16-year-old, but remained at Vasco on loan for two years

Made Inter debut in 2010, but struggled to hold down a first-team place and was loaned to Espanyol

Part of the Brazil team that won the Under-20 World Cup in 2011

Coutinho joined Liverpool for £8.5m in January 2013

Scored five goals in 33 games as Liverpool missed out on the title to Manchester City in 2013-14

Netted 13 times and made seven assists in the Premier League last season to pique Barcelona's interest

When Rafael Benitez introduced new signing Philippe Coutinho to the Italian media in the summer of 2010, he declared the Brazilian "the future of Inter Milan".

Former Liverpool team-mate, and now Barcelona colleague, Luis Suarezsaid he gave the Reds "faith in having the ball": "His technical ability is so good. You knew that he wouldn't lose it, you knew that he would produce something special with it, that he would always chose the right pass."

Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino, who coached Coutinho when he was on loan at Espanyol, said the Brazilian "has a special magic in his feet": "Philippe has a special magic in his feet. I do think he has that same quality that Ronaldinho and Lionel Messi have."

Former striker Careca compared Coutinho's creative ability to that of another Brazil legend: "He reminds me of Zico."

Coutinho, on making it as a professional, said the mental side of the game was key: "Most of the youngsters I grew up playing with do not have a career in the game now. Sometimes people think it is easy to be a footballer but it is hard work that never stops."

Manchester City come from behind to knock out Burnley

Sergio Aguero scored twice in two second-half minutes to help Premier League leaders Manchester City fight back to beat Burnley and reach the FA Cup fourth round.

A John Stones mistake let in Ashley Barnes to give Burnley a surprise lead.

However, Aguero levelled from a quickly-taken free-kick and made it 2-1 from Ilkay Gundogan's back-heel.

Leroy Sane ran on to David Silva's pass to add the third before Bernardo Silva slotted the fourth into an empty net.

City's win stretched their domestic unbeaten run to 26 games this season and keeps alive their chances of winning four trophies.

It is 32 games and 258 days since City were last beaten in the league or either domestic cup - by Arsenal in their FA Cup semi-final on 23 April 2017.

That defeat ensured City boss Pep Guardiola would end his first season in English football without a trophy - the first campaign he had failed to secure silverware in his managerial career.

This season is shaping up to be very different, with this impressive recovery keeping City in all four competitions and in with a chance of completing an unprecedented quadruple.

As well as being in the hat for round four of the FA Cup, City are 15 points clear at the top of the Premier League, in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup and the last 16 of the Champions League.

Aguero comes alive to turn game around


Guardiola said afterwards that it was "an honour" to have Aguero in his side.

The Argentinean was reportedly unhappy at City before Christmas because of his lack of opportunities in big games, but following the win over Burnley his manager said: "Both goals were amazing - the finishing, and the assists. The first one was clever and quick, and the second one was a magnificent assist, then the dribbling and good finishing.

"I have to say is an honour to have Sergio under my command.

"He is the kind of player who always wants to play, so I can understand that sometimes he is sad when he doesn't play, but I want him to be happy."

With Gabriel Jesus out for up to two months, Aguero is City's only fit striker and the problem he is facing might be his workload rather than whether he is left out.

On this evidence he can carry City's hopes for the next few weeks, after taking his tally to 19 goals for the campaign and overtaking Raheem Sterling as their leading scorer.

Aguero was virtually anonymous in the first half, shackled by Burnley's organisation and sheer numbers at the back, but was unstoppable after the break.

In the space of 94 seconds, his goals turned the game on its head and he got them because of his alertness, movement and calmness in front of goal.

Burnley hopes quickly unravel

At half-time, Burnley's hopes of a first competitive away victory against City for 55 years were looking good.

Burnley boss Sean Dyche was unhappy at how quickly Manchester City took the free-kick that led to their equaliser

They had posed little threat other than when Barnes walloped his shot past Claudio Bravo after running clear but, crucially, neither had City.

Guardiola's side had hit the woodwork through David Silva early on but had not managed a shot on target and were struggling to find any way through Burnley's massed defence.

That changed after the break and, although Clarets boss Sean Dyche was angry that Gundogan was able to take the free-kick that led to Aguero's opener before his players were ready, he was just as unhappy at the way his side collapsed.

"I am bound to be aggrieved by that because I think sometimes in football the rule might be the rule, but there is a common-sense moment, especially from experienced referees," Dyche said.

"So I am bound to be aggrieved by that, but the next minute and a half was my biggest gripe. We looked a bit punch-drunk, we didn't clear our lines on two occasions, our shape went a little bit and teams like this have the power to almost smell that moment."

They lost the defensive discipline that had frustrated City for so long to allow Aguero to quickly score a second and unravelled further before the end.

Sane and Bernardo Silva added further goals on the break but City had the chances to make the final scoreline even more emphatic.

What next?
Manchester City host Bristol City in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final on Tuesday (19:45 GMT), then travel to Anfield to play Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday (16:00 GMT). Burnley hit the road again next weekend, playing Crystal Palace on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

Liverpool confirm record €160m sale of Coutinho to Barcelona

Liverpool have confirmed their agreement of a British-record €160 million with Barcelona for the transfer of Philippe Coutinho as the player travels to Spain to complete the formalities of his move.

La Liga’s leaders will part with €120m as a guaranteed base fee, with another €40m in performance and appearance-related add-ons that are expected to be triggered.

The 25-year-old has already agreed personal terms with the Catalan club on a five-and-a-half year deal with a €400m release clause.

He will need to undergo a medical before the deal is completed and will move ahead of Ousmane Dembele as Barca’s highest-cost recruit as well as surpass Paul Pogba as the biggest player trade involving an English club.

There is a possibility that Coutinho will attend Barca's hosting of against Levante on Sunday, with the club hoping to have him training with his new team-mates on Monday.

Liverpool failed in their exhaustive efforts to convince Coutinho, who did not travel with the squad to a warm-weather camp in Dubai, to remain on Merseyside until the end of the season at the very least.

The Brazilian declined their proposed incentives and offer of a higher wage, repeating his intention to move to Camp Nou with immediate effect.

Having approached the Reds on July 20 with the first of three unsuccessful summer bids bloated by improbable clauses, Barca finally succeeded in their pursuit of the playmaker on Saturday with talks facilitated through his representatives Kia Joorabchian and Giuliano Bertolucci.

Liverpool were definitive in their stance that Coutinho was not for sale at any price in the summer, rejecting his transfer request in the process, but with their No.10 maintaining his desire to depart and Barca finally tabling an acceptable package for his services, Jurgen Klopp agreed to sanction his sale.

The Reds boss told Liverpoolfc.com: “I can tell the Liverpool supporters that we, as a club, have done everything within our means to convince Philippe that remaining part of LFC was as attractive as moving to Spain, but he is 100 per cent certain his future – and that of his family – belongs at Barcelona. It is his dream and I am now convinced there is nothing left at our disposal to change his mind.

“Philippe has made a fantastic contribution to this club over his five years of service and as disappointed as we are he doesn’t want to extend that, the relationship we have for him means with a heavy heart we wish him well.

“The player remained dedicated and committed to helping us win matches, producing good performances and training hard each day at Melwood after the summer window had closed, despite failing to convince us to allow him to leave during that period and that level of professionalism reflects positively on him.

The Brazilian made 201 appearances and scored 54 goals for Liverpool after signing in January 2013 from Inter Milan for just £8.5m.

He will become the third most expensive footballer in the world, behind Paris Saint-Germain pair Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.

PLAYBACK: Isaac Dogboe vs Cesar Juarez

Undefeated Ghanaian, Isaac “Royal Storm” Dogboe will take on the tough number one ranked Mexican contender, Cesar Juarez, for the WBO Interim Junior Featherweight title at the Bukom Boxing Arena in Accra tonight.

Ghana’s world title hopeful Isaac Dogboe has vowed to tame the monster in opponent Cesar Juarez and make history this evening as it’s been 20 years since the country won a world title.

The Mexican warrior who has won 20 and lost five times in 25 fights described his showdown with Dogboe as a walkover, stressing that it would be impossible for his opponent to beat him.

But Dogboe eulogised David in the Bible and stated that he was ready to inflict a sixth defeat on Juarez, whom he referred to as a Goliath in the ring.

The arena is filled with fans of Isaac Dogboe as they expect a splendid performance from him.

The winner of the bout is expected to challenge WBO titleholder Jessie Magdaleno, who was supposed to defend his title against Juarez but bowed out due to a wrist injury he sustained in the build-up to the fight.

Dogboe is guaranteed a fight with Magdaleno whom he once sparred with in Las Vegas by June in a mandatory title fight if he beats Juarez tonight.

Watch a livestream of the fight here on ghanaweb.com

akoliwasco: Swansea boss blasts Jordan, others after Liverpool defeat

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