Reports: Liverpool set to profit from Philippe Coutinho's Barcelona stay
Sport reports that Liverpool are set to receive a neat little windfall of £5m should Philippe Coutinho make another 15 appearances for Barcelona.
This is in accordance with a clause inserted in the £145m sale of the nifty Brazilian to the Spanish club in January of 2018.
Ironically, Coutinho's role in Bayern Munich's 8-2 evisceration of parent club Barcelona may have turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the attacking midfielder.
The heavy defeat hastened the departure of Quique Setien - who reportedly did not rate Coutinho - and led to the appointment of Ronald Koeman.
It is believed that Koeman, unlike Setien, does value Coutinho's footballing prowess and is willing to give him a run in the squad.
Sport also claims the Dutch manager contacted Coutinho the day after Barcelona's heavy Champions League semifinal defeat and assured him that he will be part of his plans going forward.
Premier League clubs interested in Barcelona star Philippe Coutinho
Coutinho's chance at redemption at Barcelona arrives amidst interest in him from a number of Premier League clubs.
Daily Mail claims that Tottenham, Arsenal and Leicester are also interested in the playmaker.
Coutinho, 28, made 38 appearances for Bayern Munich in the recently concluded 2019/20 season, scoring 11 goals - including a brace in Bayern's 8-2 win over Barcelona - and assisting 9 times.
The Brazilian had been linked with a move to Arsenal owing to the strong ties his agent Kia Joorabchian enjoys with the club.
However, Arsenal's acquisition of Willian to play in a similar position in addition to Koeman's willingness to reintroduce him into the fold at Barcelona has likely scuppered a potential move.
Coutinho's return to the club will align with the reset button being hit at Barcelona, after a tumultuous period following their Champions League exit.
Club talisman Lionel Messi publicly stated his desire to leave in an explosive interview, accusing the club of a lack of forward planning.
However, La Liga sided with the club in administering a ruling that would prevent him from leaving on a free.
As a result, the Argentinian revoked his desire to depart and agreed to stay on at the club.
It would appear, now, that Coutinho will play alongside him for one more season and in the process, yield a tidy little profit for his former club Liverpool.