Barcelona confirm deals for Liverpool's Philippe Coutinho and Dortmund's Ousmane Dembele are 'close'
General manager Pep Segura sought to reassure Barca fans following their humbling defeat to rivals Real Madrid in Wednesday night's Super Copa second leg
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Your support makes all the difference.Barcelona are "close" to signing Liverpool playmaker Philippe Coutinho and Dortmund forward Ousmane Dembele, the club's general manager has confirmed.
The Catalan giants are scrambling for reinforcements following the unexpected world record sale of Neymar earlier this month and the humbling Super Copa defeat to rivals Real Madrid on Wednesday night.
With Real now installed as hot favourites to defend their La Liga and Champions League crowns, Pep Segura sought to calm the mood among the Blaugrana faithful.
"Coutinho and Dembele are both close,” Segura - who worked as Liverpool's assistant technica manager between 2009 and 2012 - told RAC1 after defeat at the Santiago Bernabeu. “We are hopeful that they will end up wearing the Barca shirt."
When pressed for details on the two deals, he added: "Until deals are closed I can't say anything. We know we have to help the team and reinforce it and that's what we are doing."
Barcelona had a bid of £90m for Coutinho rejected last week although the player is thought to be keen for the move. The 25-year-old emailed a written transfer request to Liverpool shortly after the failed approach with the latest rumours from Anfield suggesting he will not play for the club again even as the club's owners insist he is not for sale.
Similarly, Dembele appears to be forcing a move away from the Westfalenstadion, having gone AWOL from training last week. The 20-year-old’s actions earned him a fine and indefinite suspension from the Bundesliga club – and reports from Catalunya on Monday suggested a fee had been agreed between the two clubs.
Deals for both players are expected to exceed €100m.
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