Coutinho, Dembele and the hostility of the transfer market

Barcelona's general manager Josep Segura claimed on Wednesday night that the Catalan club were close to sealing deals for Coutinho and Dembele, but there appear to be plenty of hurdles to get through before anything is finalised. That is, if the deals are to be completed.

Valverde's top two targets looked to be done deals at first glance, or at the very least attainable with the money pocketed for Neymar's sale, but both Liverpool and Dortmund are poised to emerge victorious in the tug-of-war to retain their star players. The amounts put forward by Barcelona would have been enough to persuade any club just a couple of years ago, but while the Bundesliga outfit have established an asking price of £136m for the 20-year-old, there is no price for Coutinho.

Inflation in the current market must have reached exorbitant levels when a financially colossal club as is Barcelona fail to get what they want with the extortionate rates they are offering. A combined total upwards of £250m would still not guarantee both deals going over the line.

Three offers for the Brazilian playmaker have now been turned down by Liverpool, the latest of which had the potential to reach £118 million. An astronomical fee which puts last year's record breaking signing of Paul Pogba (£89m) to shame, and which Juventus accepted in a heartbeat.

Barcelona themselves were defenceless as PSG prized away Neymar from the Camp Nou, leaving the squad notably weakened just days away from the season kicking off. While what could be considered second-tier clubs (teams outside Europe's top five or six) are remaining firm and standing their ground, the most dominant team in the last decade could only sit back and watch as a man they were reluctant to sell departed the club.

The days when all a club had to do was get the cheque-book out seem long gone. Players who currently play in La Liga, Luis Suarez, Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale, to name a few, are prime examples of stars who left their clubs, adamant as they were against letting them leave, with the helpful persuasion of wealth.

With talk of Dembele's move growing cold in recent weeks, Liverpool insist Coutinho is going nowhere. While other clubs are finding it hard to bring in any recruits whatsoever, European football's select minority no longer hold the aces, and neither do the players themselves. A new day is dawning, one where clubs can decide whether they want to sell or not, unless a release clause comes into play...