Report: Barcelona considering loaning out midfielder as injury troubles persist

Time has been rapidly ticking on Philippe Coutinho’s time at Barcelona. Ever since his arrival from Liverpool for a club record fee of around 140 million euros, the Brazilian has largely failed to live up to the massive expectations put upon him.

Some of his failures can be attributed to gross mismanagement, which perhaps triggered a domino effect for the midfielder, leading to an astonishing lack of confidence. Now, after another forgettable season in 2020-21, there is a glaring issue about his continuity that needs addressing.

It has been three years since Coutinho made the massive-money move from Liverpool to Barcelona. Since then, he has not had much to show for it. Be it poor form hampering his output, being deployed in the wrong positions, or being sidelined due to injuries, the midfielder cannot catch a break.

Even after a loan spell at Bayern Munich where the club hoped he would rediscover his form and confidence, not much opportunity came in the following campaign, as he suffered from a season-ending injury in December. His recuperation from this very knee problem seems to have no end in sight.

And now, according to reports from SPORT, the persistence of these injury issues is proving to be a massive obstacle in his sale. A sale that is highly necessary to reduce the load on the Catalans’ finances as they carry out a thorough revamp at the club.

Many Premier League outfits, including Arsenal, Everton and Leicester City have reportedly been linked to the Brazilian but are sceptical about making a move until the extent of his injury troubles is clearer.

Thus, it is believed that Barcelona are fine even with another loan deal for the former-Liverpool man just to get his wages off the books for at least a year. Being the marquee signing he was, Coutinho commands a hefty wage that the club cannot afford to pay under their current circumstances.