Report: Marseille interested in surprise move for injured Barcelona midfielder

According to reports from French outlet L’Equipe, Olympique de Marseille are suddenly keen on signing Barcelona outcast Philippe Coutinho this summer. The Brazilian’s time in a Blaugrana shirt has been ticking, but offloading him is not an easy operation.

The midfielder has been recuperating from a serious knee injury he suffered in late December 2020, and despite surgery and work under numerous different physios, there has not been any concrete positive news of his recovery. He recently returned to Barcelona from his holiday and rehab in Brazil.

The nature of Coutinho’s injury has created a major predicament for Barcelona in the market. The club are desperately trying to offload players and reduce their salary mass in order to fall in line with Financial Fair Play and La Liga’s salary regulations. Not to mention, they must also ensure they can renew Lionel Messi’s contract.

Coutinho commands a rather hefty wage and his move from Liverpool has put a significant long-term dent in Barcelona’s finances, as they are still paying amortisation costs. His lack of form and recent injury woes have driven away suitors even though the Catalans are willing to incur a massive loss to sell him and get his wages off the books.

The French outlet’s report, however, hints that an unlikely saviour may have emerged in Marseille, who are trying to negotiate with a powerful sponsor to generate some funds that could facilitate Coutinho’s arrival.

The Brazilian will supposedly earn a salary of 6 million euros, much lesser than his Barcelona wage, while the Ligue One outfit would also offer Coutinho a signing bonus of 10 million euros.