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Barcelona Transfer News: Napoli refuse deal for Coutinho alternative Insigne
BARCELONA have no chance of signing Lorenzo Insigne before the transfer window closes, insists Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis.
Barcelona want to sign Lorenzo Insigne if they can't land Philippe Coutinho
Barca have been linked with a move for Insigne as they seek a new attacking star at the Nou Camp.
Their struggles to sign Philippe Coutinho has increased pressure on club officials to snap up an alternative target.
Thomas Lemar and Angel Di Maria are also on their list should Liverpool refuse to sell Coutinho on deadline day tomorrow.
But Barca will have no better success chasing Insigne as they have Coutinho, De Laurentiis says.
There are claims Mino Raiola is set to become Insigne's new agent, with the former already quoted as saying he'd like to see the Italian at Barca.
Barca's top target is Philippe Coutinho but they will seek alternatives if Liverpool refuse a move
But De Laurentiis is having none of it.
“Raiola can do what he wants, but he if he intends to bring Insigne to Barcelona, he’ll have to do it over my dead body,” said De Laurentiis.
“Raiola is like an amusing cartoon character, he is very convincing and we get along well.
"I remember when he tried to take Marek Hamsik away and failed, in fact Hamsik is still with us 10 years later.
"Now he wants to take Insigne away, we’ll see if he manages it. I doubt it.”
Lorenzo Insigne scores wonder goal for Italy against Liechtenstein
Liverpool have already rejected three bids from Barcelona for Coutinho, even though the player wants to move to Spain.
Insigne is also supposedly open to a switch, hence the proposal to switch agents to one of the game's most powerful wheeler dealers in Raiola.
As for Di Maria, Paris Saint-Germain are willing to sell him for £46m (€50m) - a snip compared to Coutinho's valuation - while Monaco are determined to keep France ace Lemar.
There were reports Liverpool themselves were interested in Insigne on the assumption Coutinho would join Barca - but the Reds have focused on landing Arsenal's Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
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