Liverpool's Philippe Coutinho prepared to go on strike to force Barcelona move, Mathieu Debuchy may finally be leaving Arsenal

Sport360 staff 22:08 16/08/2017
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  • Another day in football, another wave of transfer rumours to keep up on. Take a look at the most recent names and gossip being floated around in the media.

    Will any of the following deals happen?

    Let us know your thoughts by getting in touch via Twitter and Facebook.

    PHILIPPE COUTINHO

    The Liverpool midfielder is ready to go on strike to force through a move to Barcelona, according to Mundo Deportivo. Coutinho has not featured in either of Liverpool’s opening two games of the season, and handed in a transfer request last week.

    Liverpool rejected that transfer request and continue to insist that the Brazilian is not for sale, but Coutinho seems determined to make this transfer happen.

    RATING: 5/10

    SPORT360 VERDICT: Club and player seem to be engaged in a game of cat-and-mouse at the moment, but Liverpool have the upper hand. Coutinho signed a contract extension earlier this season so the club are under no pressure to sell.

    Although the report suggests that the Brazilian is willing to put his national team spot in jeopardy by going on strike, given that this is a World Cup year, that’s not likely. Ultimately, if Coutinho does in fact go on strike, Liverpool can simply hold out until the transfer window ends and then bring the player back into the fold.

    MATHIEU DEBUCHY

    The Arsenal defender is wanted by Marseille, L’Equipe claims. Debuchy has not been in Arsene Wenger’s first-team plans for quite a while but has failed to secure a move away since a short loan spell to Bordeaux at the end of the 2015-16 season, largely due to his wage demands.

    However, Marseille are looking for reinforcements at right-back and could turn to the Frenchman.

    RATING: 6/10

    SPORT360 VERDICT: Sometimes it’s almost easy to forget that Debuchy is still an Arsenal player, so long has it been since he’s been among the club’s regulars. Permanent transfers away from the club have fallen through, but Marseille should have the cash to present an acceptable contract offer to the Frenchman.

    And Wenger will likely be more than happy to finally offload a player who, while largely being a model professional despite not getting playing time, has been unwanted at Arsenal for a long time.

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