Real Madrid to rival Barcelona in Philippe Coutinho pursuit

Real Madrid are reportedly prepared to battle it out with Barcelona for the services of Liverpool midfielder Philippe Coutinho.

The Brazil international was desperate to seal a move to Camp Nou in the summer and handed in a transfer request to push through a deal.

Despite this, the Reds were not keen on his sale, and they rejected three bids from the Catalan giants including one of £114m plus add-ons.

According to Mundo Deportivo, the European champions have joined the likes of Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain in the pursuit of Coutinho, but they will not make their move until the end of the season.

As a result, Barcelona are likely to hold the advantage in transfer negotiations with the club's hierarchy weighing up a fresh bid for the January transfer window.

Coutinho has suffered minor injuries in the early part of the campaign, but he has still contributed directly to seven goals in just nine appearances.