Barcelona are pulling back from their January plans to sign Liverpool ace Philippe Coutinho

Diario Gol says Liverpool's refusal to budge from their assessment of between €120-150m has disappointed Barca. Club chiefs, while regarding Coutinho highly, do not believe he is a contender for the Ballon d'Or, so cannot see how Liverpool can demand such a fee.

In contrast, Barca know they can pay €100m and ferry Antoine Griezmann away from Atletico Madrid - a player who has already made the Ballon d'Or dais. Indeed, a January move is now being actively discussed.

Just Sunday, Barca football chief Guillermo Amor admitted to the "possibility" that president Josep Maria Bartomeu had already made contact with the Frenchman's camp.