The Barcelona administration decided to keep both Frenchman Antoine Griezmann and Brazilian Philippe Coutinho inside the walls of the Camp Nou during the next season, unless an offer was received that satisfies the ambitions of the Catalan club.
Barcelona is working against the current to reduce the mass of the first team’s salaries, with the aim of being able to renew Leo Messi’s contract, and two of the team’s players seemed during the summer to be candidates to leave the Camp Nou. They are Antoine Griezmann and Philippe Coutinho, two of the most expensive signings in the club’s history.
However, they have decided in Barcelona to keep them now in the team and have no intention of negotiating the exit of the Frenchman and the Brazilian, unless an irrefutable offer arrives in the coming weeks and changes the sports management’s plans.
The arrival of such a strong showing is an unlikely scenario given the economic problems the big European teams are facing. Barcelona and Atletico were already negotiating a Griezmann-Saul swap, but it stalled.
Coach Ronald Koeman believes that both Griezmann and Coutinho can be important players next season and hopes they can make the final leap for them as Barcelona players.
In the early days of pre-season, the Dutchman was able to see the good behavior of Griezmann, who came in so enthusiastic and involved, that he was even surprised by the behavior and work of the striker in training. In addition, Griezmann made a wonderful gesture with Memphis Depay after awarding him a penalty in his first match against Girona, something Koeman loved.
For his part, Coutinho continues in Barcelona to recover individually from the meniscus injury in his left knee that has prevented him from playing since the last stage of last season, and Koeman is convinced that the Brazilian can restore the level he achieved in Liverpool.
Coutinho is in the final stage of his recovery and could join the rest of his teammates after they return from Germany.
(Source: MD newspaper)