Spanish media continue to push Coutinho from Barcelona to Chelsea

In the finest tradition of Thibaut Courtois or Eden Hazard to Real Madrid, or Gareth Bale leaving the same, Spanish media continue to push Philippe Coutinho out of Barcelona and into Roman Abramovich’s waiting arms, or some such.

The latest in this line of silly rumors, despite repeated denials from the player himself, are Cadena SER, who claim that the Barca flop is the Chelsea’s owner’s “preferred” replaced for Eden Hazard.

Pause for laughter.

(And a bit of scared concern.)

Barcelona wanting to get rid of the man they paid over €100m for in the post-Neymar panic of 2017 is hardly surprising. The former Inter and Liverpool standout has done little if anything to justify his price tag.

But over at Chelsea, Abramovich hasn’t been in the habit of vanity purchases since the debacles of Shevchenko and Torres, so Cadena SER’s claim of the owner specifically wanting Coutinho is fairly silly. Chelsea may have made some questionable choices in the transfer market in recent years even without Abramovich’s active meddling, but the damage has been relatively limited.

So let’s continue working and improving from there.

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