Reason why Tottenham ditched interest in Coutinho revealed

Tottenham withdrew their interest in Philippe Coutinho on transfer deadline day after discovering Barcelona wanted a huge loan fee.

Spurs were keen on taking the former Liverpool star in a temporary deal, given the continued doubts over Christian Eriksen’s long-term future in north London.

The Brazil international has flattered to deceive since his £142million switch from Anfield to the Nou Camp in January 2018.

The Catalan giants wanted to offload the 27-year-old, who was originally signed to replace Andreas Iniesta, this summer either by loan or permanent transfer.

However, they have been quoting clubs a loan fee of €35m (£30m), according to AS, and then scared Tottenham off, according to the Daily Mirror.

When you also factor in Coutinho’s £240,000-a-week wage as well, the overall deal would have set Spurs back an incredible £40m.

Mauricio Pochettino decided to move for fellow Argentine Giovani Lo Celso, with the playmaker arriving loan with an option to buy from Real Betis.

Read more: Agent Jorge Mendes is reportedly working to bring Bruno Fernandes from Sporting Lisbon to AC Milan this summer.

Eriksen’s future, however, remains in the balance while the European transfer window remains open, although Spurs will be hoping to keep him after his star turn in their 3-1 win over Aston Villa on Saturday.

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