Gerard Pique insists Barcelona are still a major lure for top players and says Philippe Coutinho is proof that targets are still ‘delighted’ about the idea of moving to Camp Nou.
The Catalan club are in the market for attacking reinforcements after PSG prised Neymar away earlier this summer, and have made Ousmane Dembele and Coutinho their priority targets.
Reports have suggested that Dembele could be unveiled in the coming days, though so far Liverpool have rejected Barca’s advances – and a latest offer of £138 million – even though Coutinho requested a transfer.
And Pique believes the prices being demanded are brinkmanship from rival clubs who know Barca are now flush after Neymar’s record move, and has underlined Coutinho’s desire to leave Anfield.
‘I think players still want to join Barcelona, and they are showing that is the case with Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele,’ Pique told the Daily Mail.
‘One by putting in a transfer request and the other with his actions at Dortmund. It suggests that they are both delighted about the idea of coming; they want to come.
‘The problem is, we sold Ney and the clubs know we have the money from that, and the market is the way it is.
‘I don’t think it’s because the players don’t want to come, they are keen to come to Barca, but right now sign whatever player the club wants, it seems to cost more.’
The future of another Barca star, Lionel Messi, is still up in the air – the Argentine’s contract expires in 2018, when he will be available for nothing, and he is yet to commit to a new deal – but Pique is confident he will sign on the dotted line.
He continued: ‘All players have the right to sign or renew their contracts when they want to. In the end a renewal is a question for the club and the player. That’s true in all cases, I’m not just talking about Messi.
‘When the two sides agree and they find the moment to sign, they sign. We hope it happens as soon as possible.’