- Arsenal and Liverpool could lose star players in the upcoming January transfer window
- Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde believes they must urgently sign Mesut Ozil or Philippe Coutinho
- Both players have been linked with the club, but there are issues surrounding both deals
- READ MORE: Arsenal sent reassuring message over Mesut Ozil amid ongoing transfer speculation
Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde has reportedly urged his club to seal the transfers of Arsenal star Mesut Ozil or Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho as soon as possible.
Don Balon claim Valverde is concerned about his midfield options, and it is likely to be between Ozil and Coutinho in terms of who comes in this January.
Recent reports have suggested Ozil could be leaning towards a transfer to Manchester United, with Sabah suggesting he’d snubbed an offer from Fenerbahce.
Still, the Daily Mirror have also claimed Barca are in the strongest position to sign Ozil, though they were tipping the deal to go through when his contract expires next summer.
MORE: Arsenal transfer news
It may be that Barcelona are increasingly desperate to strengthen their squad quickly, with Andres Iniesta and Denis Suarez supposedly not impressing Valverde, as per Don Balon’s latest report.
The source claims Ozil would be the cheaper of the two players, but that some doubts remain over his ability to perform consistently at a high level.
BBC Sport claimed Barcelona failed with three bids for Coutinho during the summer transfer window, but it seems they’d consider trying again for the Liverpool star.