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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…
Philippe Coutinho has rejected a loan move to Tottenham Hotspur from Barcelona, Sky Sports reports.
What’s the word?
A separate Sky Sports report had claimed that Mauricio Pochettino actually phoned Coutinho to attempt to convince him to move to Spurs in this transfer window.
But the Brazil international has rejected the opportunity to move to north London, as he would prefer to leave the club on a permanent deal.
Barca are said to feel the same way but they value Coutinho at £80m, per Sky, making a move to the Premier League unlikely this week.
Coutinho had worked with Pochettino at Espanyol but there is not set to be a dramatic reunion prior to Thursday’s 5pm deadline.
Full steam ahead
Spurs can’t let this blow destroy their plans.
Sources have confirmed that the club are also interested in Juventus’ Paulo Dybala, Sporting Lisbon’s Bruno Fernandes and Real Betis’ Giovani Lo Celso, while they would also like to sign Ryan Sessegnon from Fulham.
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There is a confidence that the latter deal will be agreed, sources claim, but their hunt for a playmaker simply has to move on.
There have been consistent negotiations for both Fernandes and Lo Celso, sources have said, and Coutinho’s rejection cannot prove to be too much of a setback.
The club simply need to pick themselves up and go again.
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