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Real Madrid tried to hijack Philippe Coutinho deal

Real Madrid tried to hijack Philippe Coutinho deal


Real Madrid tried to hijack Philippe Coutinho deal

Real Madrid made late attempt to sign Coutinh

European champions Real Madrid reportedly tried to hijack Philippe Coutinho's move to Barcelona with a club-record £177m offer. The Brazil international is currently undergoing a medical ahead of his proposed move to the Camp Nou from Liverpool.

The Merseyside outfit agreed on a £146m fee with Barcelona to sell Coutinho earlier this month, but it appears that Zinedine Zidane's made an approach at the 11th hour.

According to Mundo Deportivo, the La Liga holders were prepared to offer an additional £31m on top of Barcelona's valuation in an attempt to lure Coutinho to the Bernabeu.

However, the 25-year-old had set his sights on a move to Barcelona since the summer, and there was nothing stopping him from joining the Catalan giants this month.

Coutinho spent five years with the Anfield outfit, where he managed 54 goals in over 200 appearances, although there was nothing to show in terms of silverware.

The former Inter Milan man is ineligible to feature for Barcelona in this season's Champions League, but he could play a role in their La Liga campaign, where they are nine points clear off second-placed Atletico Madrid.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid are 16 points off their arch-rivals with a game in hand, and their focus could solely be on the Champions League campaign, where they have to first beat Paris Saint-Germain at the round of 16.