Report: Xavi changes his mind, and is ready to sell Barcelona midfielder in January

Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez made it clear after the dismal defeat to Bayern Munich this weekend that changes will be made at the club to bring back the glory days to Camp Nou.

While there have been indications of a marked change in the style of play from the previous setup, the January and the summer transfer window will also likely see several players from the current squad being shown the exit doors.

Barcelona are not in a position to go out and sign players in the transfer market and need to cut the deadwood from the squad at the earliest if they are to bolster their ranks. And El Nacional is reporting that the first victim of this plan will be Philippe Coutinho.

Nearly four years into his stint at Camp Nou, the Brazilian playmaker has hardly lived up to the billing and the club-record transfer fee that the Catalan giants shelled out to Liverpool to sign him. It has just not worked out for the 29-year-old under any of the managers at Barcelona so far.

And while he was handed a clean slate upon Xavi’s arrival, it seems like the former midfielder has seen enough to change his mind on the Brazilian’s future. Indeed, the report claims that the new manager has already informed Coutinho to find himself a new club in the upcoming January transfer window or spend the rest of the season in the stands at Barca, as he does not plan on using him.

The ex-Liverpool star does not see the situation as favourable and will start hunting for new employers, although his wages could make things difficult for Barcelona to find a suitor. If successful, though, the Catalans would stand to make a decent fee from Coutinho’s sale, while getting his salary off the books would open up room for new arrivals as well.

A crucial business that the club needs to complete in January.