Barcelona Transfer News: Robert Deal Close, Latest Philippe Coutinho Rumours

Barcelona are reportedly close to completing a deal for Fluminense's Robert, with the youngster set to join in January on loan with a view to a permanent move.Thats according to Lluis Miguelsanz of Sport, who writes the Blaugrana are a step away from finalising the transfer on a temporary basis, meaning a deal could be confirmed in the coming days. Manchester City and Chelsea are also said to be interested in the exciting attacker but seem to have missed out to the allure of the Camp Nou.Barca have watched the player on various occasions, the piece continues. Urban Ortega recently went to Brazil to follow him directly and to speak with him and his representatives.Its claimed while the 19-year-old will go into the clubs B team initially, there could be opportunities for him in the first team later on in the season. Heres a look at what he could offer:Miguelsanz notes that Robert has been a revelation for the Brazilian outfit as of late, impressing with his strong build, versatility in attacking positions and ability to carve out chances for his team-mates. However, Spanish football journalist Rafael Hernandez is unsure whether the youngster is quite good enough yet:Barcelona are not short of quality in attacking areas, with Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar regularly tearing up La Liga. However, strength in depth is not a luxury manager Luis Enrique currently has, with youngsters Munir El Haddadi and Sandro Ramirez seemingly not quite ready to be first-team players yet.Still, Robert also falls into that category and will need time to develop. The teenager clearly has a spark, and as is evident by the teams said to be interested in him, he is hot property at the moment. Should a deal go through, hes certainly a young player to keep an eye out for in the years to come in Catalonia.Continued Links to Philippe CoutinhoFrench publicationBuzzSport (h/t the Daily Star's Jamie Anderson) claims Barcelona remain interested in Liverpools Brazilian midfielder Philippe Coutinho.The report notes the Blaugrana have been linked with the Selecao star previously, and according to the latest rumours, the European champions are ready to intensify their interest in the player.Coutinho certainly seems to tick all the boxes when it comes to being a Barcelona player. The Brazil international is a wonderful technician, brilliantly cerebral in playing style and a midfielder with an eye for an incisive pass. While not quite to the same standard currently, the Reds star may be the most appropriate heir apparent to Andres Iniesta anywhere in world football.As is evident by the recent Player of the Month award he picked up, the Liverpool midfielder has been in excellent form, per the clubs Twitter feed:However, any deal in midseason seems very unlikely. Not only will the Reds be reluctant to sell such a key player, but Barcelona are currently in no position to go out and spend big money. Indeed, according to Miguelsanz, the coffers are pretty much empty at the Camp Nou, meaning any January acquisitions will likely be loans or for nominal fees.Perhaps when Barca have a bolstered bank balance, they will make a serious move for Coutinho. Until then, fans of the Reds and the Premier League alike can rest easily knowing the midfielder will be strutting his stuff on English soil for a while yet.Read more World Football news on BleacherReport.com
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