one-year loan by Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, with the Bundesliga side having an option to buy
next summer. Their fans were probably also asking why the transfer had not been organised sooner, as Nico
Kovac’s side began their campaign with two points dropped in a 2-2 draw at home to Hertha Berlin.
Sending Coutinho on loan gets his sizeable wages off Barca’s books. But it does not help raise the big money
needed to bring back Neymar from a PSG hierarchy which look determined to drive a hard bargain.
Especially considering the blaugrana board has already stretched financially to bring in Griezmann earlier in
the summer.
Sunday’s Mundo Deportivo front page claimed that Barca were now “considering asking” to take Neymar on
loan themselves, and prepared to give Ousmane Dembele in part-exchange. The report inside the Catalan
paper did not convince that PSG sporting director Leonardo or especially the club’s chairman Nasser Al-
Khelaifi would be willing to go along with that plan. The impression given was of blaugrana president Josep
Maria Bartomeu and his fellow directors continuing to stumble through the summer's transfer activity.
Real Madrid remain another potential destination for Neymar, with more reports in the Spanish capital on
Sunday that Blancos president Florentino Perez was making a renewed effort to finally sign his long-time
obsession. Even after coach Zinedine Zidane insisted both before and after his team’s 3-1 victory at Celta
Vigo on Saturday that he was now happy to “make do with the players we have”.
Madrid’s performance at Balaidos underlined the importance of drawing a line under transfer matters
before the official action starts, with the previously ostracised Gareth Bale setting up the opening goal in an
impressively all-action display on his surprise return to the team.
Real Madrid impressed at Celta (AP)Atletico also did their business early this transfer window, and England right-back Kieran Trippier took just
24 minutes to produce a peach of a cross to set up their opener for Alvaro Morata in Sunday night’s 1-0
victory over Getafe at the Wanda Metropolitano. That game's standout moment saw the rojiblanco side's
new €126m wonderkid Joao Felix show he was settling well by hurdling four challenges in an electrifying 50
yard run before being fouled for a penalty which Morata missed.
Meanwhile, Neymar was nowhere to be seen on Sunday night as his current side were shocked 1-2 at home
to Rennes in Ligue 1. While the official story is that the 27 year old is not yet fully match fit, he looked in
pretty good shape in his Instagram holiday pictures from Portugal last week. PSG coach Thomas Tuchel has
appeared open to Neymar ‘doing a Bale’ and staying, but winning back over the fans at the Parc des Princes
looks impossible at this point.
Given La Liga’s transfer window remains open until September 2, there are still two weeks for Barca’s
various transfer decision makers to sort out a workable plan. Valverde admitted last week that as coach he
has little say on which players are bought or sold. And also to wishing La Liga would follow the Premier