Barcelona pushing for the sale of Brazilian forward in the summer

A recent report from Diario SPORT has offered an update on the future of Philippe Coutinho. The Brazilian is one of many unwanted players set to leave Camp Nou in the summer.

Coutinho was loaned out to Aston Villa in January, thanks to the player’s excellent relationship with coach Steven Gerrard. The forward started the season quite well too, showcasing his old form at Liverpool, and involving himself in eight goals in his first eight matches.

However, lack of consistency has plagued Coutinho once again, with the Barcelona star yet to score or assist a single goal since the 3-0 victory over Leeds United last month. It has coincided with Aston Villa’s run of four consecutive losses.

Such a dip in form has led Barcelona to consider the possibility of Aston Villa opting not to trigger his €40 million buyout clause or negotiating the margin, to an extent.

While Gerrard remains a believer, the Aston Villa board is not convinced with Coutinho’s performances. They want to cut the buyout clause to half and are willing to fork out only €20 million.

In light of such complexities, Barcelona have asked Coutinho’s agents to start negotiating personal terms with other Premier League clubs.

In addition to Aston Villa, the Brazilian international has been courted by a few other top clubs across England, including Arsenal, Manchester City and Newcastle United.

Barça consider Coutinho’s sale a critical part of their transfer policy in the summer, with their entire operation of signing new players and overhauling the squad banking on the departure of the Brazilian, along with a few other unwanted stars including Antoine Griezmann.

The Catalans, therefore, will do everything they can to force through an exit for Coutinho. The player has not been very keen on a move to Newcastle or Arsenal, but a lot more will be clarified in the coming weeks, as we head towards the final phase of the campaign.