COUTINHO DEAL NONE OF NIKE’S BUSINESS

BARCELONA will do everything to extract Philippe Coutinho from Liverpool. We get that. Beneath the ‘more than a club’ branding lies a flint-hearted member of football’s elite, no different from the rest. The involvement of Nike in their latest ruse, however, is more sinister. Barcelona appeared to be offering Coutinho shirts, manufactured by Nike, on their website at the weekend. And a move would surely suit all parties. Coutinho, like Barcelona, is a Nike client. Yet this should not be about what Nike desire, for commercial purposes. No doubt it is a huge frustration when Coutinho appears for Liverpool in the merchandise of a rival. But tough. This is football, not marketing, not the catwalk. If Coutinho is to leave this month, it is for the clubs to agree a price. This is none of Nike’s business and any attempt at involvement is a worrying trend.