Barcelona will only sign Philippe Coutinho if the player can arrive this summer, the club’s technical secretary Robert Fernandez told Sportsmail on Monday.
He confirmed the club were in negotiations with one unnamed player but also admitted that the preference was for two to arrive before the European window shuts on Friday.
Asked if Coutinho could sign now and arrive next season Fernandez said: ‘If Barcelona sign a player then it will be for him to arrive and play now.’
The La Liga giants are understood to be trying to bring both Coutinho and Angel di Maria to the Camp Nou before August 31.