- Coutinho has been heavily linked with a move to Barcelona
- Rakitic could be one to suffer with increased competition at Nou Camp.
- Messi and Suarez’s desire to sign Liverpool star has reportedly annoyed him
- READ MORE: Barcelona know staggering figure it will take to sign Philippe Coutinho in January, fee revealed
Barcelona were heavily linked with a move for Philippe Coutinho in the summer, and the insistence of some to sign him reportedly isn’t sitting well with others.
As per BBC Sport, the Catalan giants made three unsuccessful bids to sign the Brazilian international this past summer, with Mundo Deportivo noting that it will take a €145m bid to prise him away from Anfield in the January transfer window.
Naturally, given the quality that the 25-year-old possesses coupled with the money needed to take him to the Nou Camp, he will be expected to be given a prominent role in the team should he arrive.
With Andres Iniesta turning 34 next year, the Brazilian playmaker could be seen as an ideal replacement for the club icon, but ultimately the transfer may not be great for another Barca star either.
That’s the theory put forward by Diario Gol, as re-reported by The Express, who claim that Ivan Rakitic is not best pleased with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez over their desire to see Coutinho move to Barcelona.
Such a move would undoubtedly put pressure on the Croatian international to maintain his place in the starting line-up, and so it could even force an exit with the World Cup coming up next summer as he won’t want to fall down the pecking order and risk less playing time.
In turn, with Messi and Suarez essentially looking at strengthening the squad, their reported ‘determination to sign Coutinho’ could have a negative impact on others. With no solid foundation to suggest that Barcelona will be successful in their January bid to sign their long-term target, it could also be argued that it’s a risky strategy if true.