The ongoing saga surrounding Barcelona's pursuit of Philippe Coutinho looks set to rumble on, with the latest developments taking a rather odd turn. New Year's Eve sent Liverpool fans into meltdown as sportswear giants Nike, who manufacture Barca's kits, advertised club shirts with Coutinho's name on the back, despite the fact that no deal has been agreed.
Coutinho was the subject of numerous bids by Barcelona last summer and he has been strongly linked with a move to Nou Camp in January.
Barcelona had an indifferent 2017 by their usual high standards, but there's plenty of reasons to believe 2018 could be a special year for the club. A third Copa del Rey win in a row was Barca's only trophy during Luis Enrique's final season as manager, with the team coming up short in both La Liga and the Champions League.
Read on for four things Barcelona can look forward to in 2018.
Barcelona head into the New Year aiming to add more silverware to their trophy cabinet, but 2017 was ultimately a slightly disappointing 12 months for the La Liga giants in terms of silverware.
Barca marked the end of Luis Enrique's time as manager by becoming the first side since the 1950s to win the Copa del Rey three years in a row with a 3-1 victory over Alaves. However, success in the Champions League and La Liga eluded them and fans will certainly expect a better return in 2018.
