Barcelona hoping to ship off €30 million-rated playmaker to the Premier League – report

The subject of Philippe Coutinho and his future at the club has become a major issue for Barcelona this summer, according to a report from Mundo Deportivo. At a time when there have already been four new signings, with more on the way, the Catalans are having to make a concerted effort to move the Brazilian off the books.

Coutinho arrived at Barcelona in January 2018 for a club-record transfer fee. But the move has not panned out as expected for him or the club. And given the current financial situation at Camp Nou, it becomes imperative that the 29-year-old be offloaded in the summer transfer window.

Barcelona agreed a payment structure of €120 million upfront to Liverpool for Coutinho’s signing, with the remaining €40 million to be paid in add-ons. Of that, the Blaugrana have shelled out €5 million when he reached 25 appearances for the club while another €10 million was paid out after he qualified for the UEFA Champions League with the team.

Barcelona will have to pay another €20 million imminently to Liverpool once Coutinho reaches 100 appearances – he is currently on 90 – while another €5 million will be due should the Catalan giants win the UEFA Champions League, which remains their primary objective.

At a time when Barcelona are having to look for free transfers, the club cannot afford to make these payments. So, even though the club officials hold Coutinho in high regard, they are actively looking to offload him, even as he continues to recover from his knee injury sustained in December last year.

And, as per the report, the Premier League remains Barcelona’s best avenue to do business with for Coutinho’s transfer. It is claimed that three clubs from England – Arsenal, Everton and Leicester City – are all interested in securing the Brazilian playmaker’s services.

Coutinho still has two years left on his contract with Barcelona. But, as things stand, it is looking like his future lies away from Camp Nou. Whether he does end up securing a return to the Premier League, remains to be seen, however.

Player valuation in title obtained from transfermarkt.com on date of publication.