Breaking: Philippe Coutinho turns down Tottenham loan offer

Well, that was fun while it lasted. The latest in the pants-on-your-head crazy last minute transfer rumor from yesterday, which linked Tottenham Hotspur with a loan move for Barcelona midfielder Philippe Coutinho, make it look like things are going to end in tears. Sky Sports’ transfer tracker is reporting now that Coutinho has rejected Spurs’ loan offer and now looks likely to remain in La Liga for the upcoming season.

It sounds as though Coutinho and Barca both want a permanent deal — with the midfielder valued at about £80m — but Spurs are only interested in a one-year loan arrangement, so the deal’s off, at least for now.

The Coutinho deal was a weird (and strangely exciting!) one, but it always felt a bit like Option C out of a host of potential outcomes, or one that was sparked to reignite the transfer fires underneath the transfer for Giovani Lo Celso from Betis.

Anyway, that was exciting. Roll on transfer window!