Moshiri and Benitez at odds over Coutinho with Everton in talks to sign Barcelona ace
Everton are in talks to sign Barcelona playmaker Philippe Coutinho but the potential deal is causing friction behind the scenes at Goodison Park, according to ESPN.
The broadcaster reports that there is “internal debate at Goodison Park” because majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri wants to sign Coutinho, 29, while Rafa Benitez is “not yet on board”.
It is understood that ex-Liverpool player Coutinho is Barcelona’s highest-earner and the Spanish club wants to loan him out in order to register new signing Ferran Torres.
Forget about it
Moshiri should not be meddling in transfer affairs.
Marcel Brands has left Goodison Park and his exit means that Benitez should hold all the cards when it comes to ins and outs at the club.
We’ve been happy with the business he’s done so far since joining the club with Andros Townsend and Demarai Gray doing quite well and January deals for Vitaly Mykolenko and Nathan Patterson looking promising.
Coutinho would be a ridiculous signing and Moshiri needs to drop this as soon as possible.
The Brazilian attacker has had an injury-ravaged spell at Barcelona that has essentially ruined his reputation as one on of the best playmakers in the world.
He was superb at Liverpool, we’ll admit, but they went onto bigger and better things after he left and the most recent addition of a former Anfield man at Everton has caused nothing but trouble.
We’re siding with Benitez on this one.
Moshiri isn’t a football man so he needs to keep his nose out of affairs like this.
In other Everton news, Newcastle now want to sign this Blues ace after a £130,000-a-week addition is done.
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