Barcelona Transfer News: Philippe Coutinho wants to leave club amid interest from top European clubs
What's the story?
It has been claimed that FC Barcelona midfielder Philippe Coutinho has informed the club that he wants to leave this summer.
A host of top European clubs, including Manchester United, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, and Juventus are said to be interested in the former Liverpool star.
In case you didn't know...
Coutinho joined Barcelona in January 2018 in a big-money move after spending five seasons with Premier League giants Liverpool.
The 26-year-old followed the path of Uruguayan sharpshooter Luis Suarez, who left Liverpool for Barcelona in the summer of 2014. However, the Brazilian international has thus far failed to make his mark at the Camp Nou, unlike Suarez, who has become an indisputable figure in the Blaugrana line-up.
The heart of the matter
Coutinho left Liverpool to win titles with Barcelona. Since joining the Spanish champions, he has won two La Liga titles and a Copa del Rey. However, he didn't play a major role in achieving any of those.
The former Liverpool star has failed to adapt in Ernesto Valverde's system. Last season, Coutinho made 54 appearances in all competitions for the Catalan giants, scoring 11 goals and providing five assists. On the statistical level, French prodigy Ousmane Dembele got the better of the Brazilian, with 14 goals and nine assists in much fewer appearances.
Barcelona payed a club-record €120 million to sign Coutinho from Liverpool, with the fee possibly rising to €160 million. But after just one-and-a-half seasons at the Camp Nou, Coutinho reportedly wants to leave the Catalan giants. Barcelona are also open to the idea of letting Coutinho, who is on the radar of PSG, Chelsea, Manchester United and Juventus, leave for as low as €90 million.
What's next?
With several clubs interested in Coutinho, it remains to be seen where the Brazilian plays his football next season.