Tottenham Hotspur have received a blow in their pursuit of signing a new playmaker this summer, as one of their targets has rejected a move.
Philippe Coutinho is said to have turned down the chance to join Spurs on loan this summer, as he and Barcelona both prefer a permanent move (Sky Sports).
This comes after Sky Sports claimed Tottenham were the favourites to land the Brazilian on loan yesterday. They also added that Pochettino had already called Coutinho up in order to convince him (Sky Sports).
The pair worked together at Espanyol for six-months while Coutinho was on loan there and Pochettino was manager.
The reported loan deal was said to be worth around £21m for the season, but that appears to now be off the table (Times). If the latest report is correct, Spurs will now need to pay around £80m to secure him permanently (Sky Sports).
Sport also claim that Coutinho prefers a move back to his old club Liverpool.
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