Valverde talks Philippe Coutinho, Arda Turan and Celta Vigo ahead of Copa del Rey

Ernesto Valverde has faced the press once again ahead of Thursday’s Copa del Rey second leg against Celta Vigo.

The Barcelona boss was under no illusions about how difficult tomorrow’s game would be and also took time out to talk about the club’s latest big-name signing.

Here are the best bits...

Valverde on Coutinho

“He can play in various positions. We think he should be able to adapat very well to the style the team has. We’re excited that he’s come here.

“He’s a player we think can help us. Each player is different and each brings something different. He scores, he can shoot, he can play inside, outside and we hope he contributes and helps us be better.

Valverde on Arda Turan leaving for Turkey

“No I can’t [confirm the move]. I don’t know and even if I knew I couldn’t say, I can’t confirm anything about whether he’s leaving or not.

Valverde on Celta Vigo

“Our intention is to dominate the game but they also like to have the ball and play their football. They put pressure on you high up the field, we saw that in the first leg.

“They have already shown that they will not cede a millimetre of ground. Celta can play in several ways, not just on the counter. We want to create chances, it’s all or nothing, only one team will go through.

“They have great players and it will be constant battle. We will have to be on the watch out for the counter attack.

Valverde on Iago Aspas

“Iago Aspas is a great player who not only scores goals not just against us but against all teams, he’s a great footballer and I rate him, I think everyone thinks that way.”

Source: Gill Clark http://bit.ly/2CYVzSj