Transfer News: Liverpool Identifies Philippe Coutinho Replacement, Chelsea Prepares to Lose Star
It was the nightmare situation that Liverpool feared this summer, but Jurgen Klopp's team is preparing for Philippe Coutinho's departure today.
The Brazilian playmaker is wanted by Barcelona and Liverpool has identified a replacement, while in London champion Chelsea is also setting itself for the departure of a star player.
Elsewhere, Newcastle is preparing for life in the Premier League and may bid for an Arsenal striker ahead of the new season. All that and more in Newsweek's round-up of news and rumors in the Premier League transfer market:
After Philippe Coutinho reportedly told Liverpool that he wanted to leave for Barcelona this summer, Klopp has identified a potential replacement. According to German newspaper Bild, Klopp sees Renato Sanches as a player who he could sign should Coutinho leave Anfield. Sanches, the 19-year-old midfielder, has said he wants to leave Bayern Munich to get more playing time.
Liverpool also looks to have entered a battle with Arsenal for the signing of Monaco midfielder Thomas Lemar , according to Le10 Sport. The 21-year-old Frenchman has been a target for Arsene Wenger throughout the summer but now he faces competition from a rival Premier League team.
Chelsea's players will report back to the club's state-of-the-art training complex in Cobham on Tuesday, but one man is set to be missing. Diego Costa , Marca says, will not be among the returnees as the 28-year-old Spanish striker looks for a move away from Antonio Conte's team.
On Sunday, Conte saw Nemanja Matic leave Chelsea for Manchester United. The move came after Chelsea had signed midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko from Monaco, but Conte wants more reinforcements in the center of the pitch, and according to the Daily Mail the Italian is considering a bid for Leicester City's Danny Drinkwater .
Liverpool could still break its club transfer record this summer by signing Virgil van Dijk from Southampton, according to the Liverpool Echo. Despite the club ending its interest in the center back earlier in the summer, Van Dijk is set for talks this week with new Southampton boss Mauricio Pellegrino about a move away from the club, which could see him end up at Anfield.
Arsenal has been looking to sell Spanish striker Lucas Perez this summer, and it might just have found a buyer. According to the London Evening Standard, newly-promoted Newcastle United is willing to pay the £13.4 million that Arsenal wants for the 28-year-old.
