Gossip: Coutinho wants Barcelona move and more

OPERATION!
It’s the worst code name ever – OPERATION COUTINHO – but that’s what Barcelona are launching ahead of this summer, according to Sport. And they claim that Philippe Coutinho is very much on board with the plan, with these latest reports describing him as ‘enthusiastic’. Liverpool might well be ‘enthusiastic’ too if he carries on playing like he has in 2017.

His agent Giuliano Bertolucci is said to have been in talks with Barcelona and assured them that his client would snub interest from PSG to join Barcelona. You may remember that Neymar said this week: “A Premier League player that I would like to have in Barcelona is Coutinho. I believe he is a player that would totally fit in Barcelona.”

 

HAZARD!
There’s been talk of Eden Hazard being a target for Real Madrid – along with goalkeeper Thibault Courtois – but the Daily Telegraph claim: ‘Chelsea will resist any bids for Eden Hazard, who they are confident is not looking to join Real Madrid, and are prepared to reward his superb form with a new contract.’

Hazard already earns £200,000 a week and has three years left on his contract, but he will be offered improved terms and is reportedly very happy at Chelsea; Courtois is said to be similarly settled.

The Telegraph go on to claim that Alvaro Morata, Romelu Lukaku, Tiemoue Bakayoko, Ross Barkley and Virgil van Dijk are all targets this summer.

 

GRIEZMANN TO CHELSEA.
We would give more credence to Matt Law and his Daily Telegraph list than Phil Cadden of The Sun, but he claims that ‘CHELSEA will go to war with Manchester United to sign Antoine Griezmann’ this summer. We’re not sure they will have to go that far.

‘SunSport can reveal  the Premier League leaders have registered an interest in buying the £86million-rated Atletico Madrid striker.’ Which makes us think of registering a wedding list at John Lewis, but that’s probably just us…

 

AND THE REST
Barcelona are weighing up a summer move for Leicester City’s Riyad Mahrez…Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is in Croatia to watch Inter Milan winger Ivan Perisic…Tottenham are planning to sell 22-year-old Netherlands striker Vincent Janssen…Middlesbrough centre-back Ben Gibson is a target for Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham…West Bromwich Albion are interested in signing Nigeria winger Moses Simon.