Members of the Blaugrana board want the club to call off their pursuit of the Liverpool ace in favor of other options.

The exit of Neymar has left Barcelona in a sticky situation, as they broke the bank on a replacement – Ousmane Dembele – who is promising but is yet to fill the void. Furthermore, the Blaugrana is still in need of reinforcement in midfield as Iniesta’s influence diminishes with age.

Philippe Coutinho was seen as the ideal target, but Liverpool’s unwillingness to discuss his sale kept the Brazilian at Anfield this summer. Reports have suggested that the Spanish club will return for the South American; however, the Daily Mail writes that the board is split on whether to call off the deal.

According to the British publication, technical secretary Robert Fernandez is in favor of a return for Coutinho once the transfer window re-opens in January. Unfortunately, General Manager Pep Segura, Fernandez’s senior, believes the league leaders should call off their pursuit.

As a result, the Catalan outfit has been exploring other options. The major target is none other than Arsenal’s contract rebel Mesut Ozil. The German’s deal with the London club expires next summer, with the player nowhere near an extension.

Their interest in the World Cup winner isn’t very surprising, as the wantaway Gunners ace is capable of picking out exquisite passes. His Man of the Match performance in the recent 2-0 win over Tottenham this weekend also earned him top coverage in the Catalan press.

However, there are a few roadblocks, the biggest being his ties with Los Blancos – Barcelona is their eternal enemy. Secondly, the player is wanted at Man United by former manager Jose Mourinho.

Barcelona, who travels to Juventus in the Champions League this midweek, can beat the Red Devils to Ozil’s signature. However, the club must officially decide to end their interest in Coutinho first.

 

 

Match details, result and original broadcast info

Juventus 0 - 0 Barcelona

November 22, 2017 2:45pmAllianz Stadium (Torino)

This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.

Live TV coverage and streaming in United States

ESPN Deportes USA
Fox Sports 1 USA
ESPN Deportes+ USA
fuboTV
ESPN3 USA
ESPN App
Bally Sports
Sport 24
UEFA Champions League App
ESPN Deportes Radio

Follow the game on-the-go

Download our iOS and Android apps to follow on-the-go. It comes packed with features - live scores, fixtures, results, tables, line-ups, stats, TV schedule and much more! Sorry, no live streaming within the app.

Live Soccer TV App for iOS Live Soccer TV App for Android