"Fake news!" - Luis Suarez rubbishes claims that he urged Barcelona to sign big-money flop
Barcelona midfielder Philippe Coutinho has been in the talks lately amid rumours that he's working on making his loan deal with Aston Villa permanent ahead of next season. Meanwhile, former Barcelona striker Luis Suarez has denied having a hand in the player's move to the Camp Nou.
Spanish outlet SPORT recently published a report claiming Suarez convinced Barcelona to sign Coutinho from Liverpool in January 2018. According to that, the Uruguayan invited then-Blaugrana president Josep Maria Bartomeu to his house, where he played videos of Coutinho starring for Liverpool and urged him to sign the Brazilian.
Reacting to the story, the Uruguayan took to social media to refute the same, saying he had no role to play in the Coutinho's €160 million transfer to the Blaugrana. Suarez also denied there was any meeting between him and Bartomeu on the subject.
@FCBarcelona
👀
Luis Suárez and Philippe Coutinho are back at Anfield 👍🔴
📷 @FCBarcelona https://t.co/HhMxJ3m9ab
He wrote on Instagram, as per BarcaBlaugranes:
“Hello everyone, I wanted to DENY this FAKE news. That ‘supposed CALL’ never existed, nor did that man go to my house to see any VIDEO, nor was there a call from anything.”
Luis Suarez, though, confirmed that Barcelona did ask him for an opinion on Coutinho, and he admitted to providing a positive feedback, adding:
“What if it is clear that when asking about a PARTNER that I had, OBVIOUSLY I am going to speak well of him accordingly."
Barça are on the verge of selling Philippe Coutinho to Aston Villa for around 20 million euros. [md]
❗️ Barça are on the verge of selling Philippe Coutinho to Aston Villa for around 20 million euros. [md] https://t.co/smDnz3z9G5
The Atletico Madrid striker continued:
“There is always a lot of news, and you have to be oblivious to it, but in this case I CANNOT let go to DENY IT! One thing is to inform, and it is ACCEPTED, but LYING? NO, NOT THAT! #noment #fake news #respect."
Philippe Coutinho to leave Barcelona for Aston Villa permanently this summer
According to reliable Spanish journalist Gerard Romero, Philippe Coutinho is closing in on sealing a permanent transfer to Aston Villa ahead of next season. The Brazilian joined the Villans on loan last summer, and his performances have convinced the Premier League side to sign him on a permanent transfer.
As per the report, the deal is fully agreed on the player's side, and it's expected to cost in the region of €20 million. It remains to be seen if an official announcement will be made in the coming days.