Barcelona midfielder finally ready to leave after not getting a leading role

Four years after his mega-money move from Liverpool to Barcelona, Philippe Coutinho is finally ready to move on from his disastrous stint at Camp Nou, reports SPORT.

Widely regarded as one of the best playmakers at the time when he made the switch in January 2018, the Brazilian has endured a torrid time in Catalonia. After a difficult first 18 months, he was loaned out to Bayern Munich in 2019/20, but that did not help him reignite his career.

Back at Barça, Coutinho spent the majority of the last season out injured and has found himself very much out of favour this campaign, be it under Ronald Koeman or Xavi Hernandez.

Of his 16 appearances this term, the 29-year-old has started just five and has come to the realisation that he will never have a leading role at Camp Nou. As a result, the ex-Liverpool midfielder has accepted his fate and is now ready to move on to a different club.

The report adds that Coutinho’s preference would be to return to the Premier League. There have been talks of interest from Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur in the recent past, while Everton have also been linked.

As for Barcelona, this development is likely to come as music to the ears of Joan Laporta, Mateu Alemany & co. They have been trying to find ways to shed wages off the salary bill to accommodate new signing Ferran Torres and any other incomings that may happen this month.

Getting rid of Coutinho and his massive wages would be a big help in that respect for Barcelona. And, the willingness of the 29-year-old to secure a move away for himself should speed things up in finding a new destination for him in the ongoing transfer window.

During his four-year stint with the Catalans, Coutinho has managed just 106 appearances, netting 25 goals and chalking up 14 assists. But his time with the Blaugrana could now be coming to an end.