Philippe Coutinho will not return to the Premier League this month despite Barcelona offering him to a number of English clubs in recent weeks, sources at the Catalan club have told ESPN FC.
Barca had hoped to push through a move to Tottenham Hotspur before the transfer window shuts on Thursday, Aug. 8 but talks have now broken down.
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The Spanish champions believed a loan move to London was possible despite some complications earlier this week but have now conceded time is against them and their record signing will not be returning to England during the current transfer window.
Sources at Barca have told ESPN FC that talks with Tottenham were progressing well until chairman Daniel Levy looked to change the terms of the agreement.
Coutinho, 27, was also offered to other English clubs but there were no takers. Jurgen Klopp told ESPN FC that Liverpool could not afford a deal to re-sign the Brazilian, while Arsenal were never interested, despite reports in Spain to the contrary.
Manchester United’s fleeting interest never progressed into anything firm, while Chelsea’s transfer ban prohibited them from making a bid.
Barca are still open to selling Coutinho this month, with the transfer windows remaining open in other countries, but felt that the English market represented their best chance of making some money back on a player they signed for a fee rising to €160 million 18 months ago.
Coutinho is prepared to leave and Paris Saint-Germain could yet come in for him, or he could, as sources told ESPN FC earlier this summer, be included in a deal to bring Neymar back to Camp Nou.
There have not yet been any signs of interest from clubs in Italy or Germany.
Coutinho has failed to produce his best form at Camp Nou and is expected to fall further down the pecking order following the arrival of Antoine Griezmann for €120m this summer. Even before the arrival of Griezmann, though, Barca were keen to sell.
The ex-Liverpool man is currently in the United States with the rest of his Barcelona teammates. They play Napoli in Miami and again on Saturday in Ann Arbor, Michigan, as part of the inaugural La Liga-Serie A Cup.