AC Milan to approach Barcelona for high-profile swap deal — Reports
Barcelona have been approached by AC Milan with a proposal for a high-profile swap deal involving Alessio Romagnoli and Philippe Coutinho, as per reports.
The Blaugrana are believed to be keen to offload Coutinho, who currently does not appear to be in Ronald Koeman's plans. They shattered their transfer record to sign the Brazilian from Liverpool in 2018 but his move has been a disastrous one for all parties involved so far.
With Barcelona struggling to find him a new club due to his injury record, poor form, and high wages, AC Milan could provide them with a viable option.
Rossoneri skipper Romagnoli has just a year left on his deal and is yet to sign a new deal, leading to speculation over his future. He could be on a free transfer in 2022 should he fail to agree a new deal with the club, following Gigi Donnarumma's footsteps.
A potential swap involving Romagnoli and Coutinho could go a long way in helping improve both squads. Barcelona could be getting a quality centre-half with a lot of experience as they look to revamp an aging defence. On the other hand, Stefano Pioli's side could get a replacement for Hakan Calhanoglu, who left the Rossoneri to join rivals Internazionale.
However, it remains to be seen if the two clubs can come to an agreement, as Barcelona will be taking a massive hit on the €135m they paid for him. Additionally, his huge wages could potentially be another stumbling block for AC Milan.
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Barcelona could keep Coutinho at the club
Despite rumours of a high-profile swap deal, reports from Spain also suggested that Coutinho could remain at the club beyond the summer.
The Brazilian has been linked with the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Leicester City, and Arsenal over the last year or so. However, this report suggests Barcelona could struggle to get the 29-year-old off their books and he could return to the Nou Camp for pre-season.
Coutinho has struggled remarkably since moving in 2018, on top of which he's also faced his fair share of injuries. He's currently recovering from a ruptured outer meniscus which ruled him out of the ongoing Copa America in Brazil.
Elsewhere, his Barcelona team-mate Antoine Griezmann is also rumoured to be on the transfer list as the club look to trim their squad ahead of 2021/22.
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