Barcelona to actively try to offload big-money flop in January - Reports
Barcelona will reportedly look to offload Philippe Coutinho in the January transfer window.
Coutinho joined the Blaugrana back in the 2018 winter transfer window. Barcelona paid an astounding £142 million to Liverpool for the Brazilian's services. Much was expected of Coutinho and he did reasonably well in the second half of the 2017-18 club season.
The midfielder registered nine goals and seven assists in 22 matches for the club to help them secure a domestic double. However, the following seasons have seen Coutinho suffer a steep fall from grace.
Barcelona have been looking to cash in on the Brazilian for some time now. However, Coutinho's wage demands have meant no clubs have submitted concrete deals.
🚨NOTICIA SPORT🚨
👉🚪El Barça le volverá a enseñar la puerta a Coutinho
👋El club intentará colocarle en enero como sea para ahorrarse su ficha
✍️Lluís Miguelsanz
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To make the most of the situation, former Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman tried to incorporate Coutinho back into the team. Koeman believed he could help the 29-year-old get back to his best. However, he was largely unsuccessful and the Dutch tactician has also been sacked by the club.
According to reports from Sport, Coutinho could be one of the players who will suffer from Koeman's exit. Interim manager Sergi Barjuan has put him back on the bench in the two matches he has overseen so far. Coutinho did not even come on to the pitch in the Catalans' victory at Dynamo Kyiv last night (November 2).
Xavi Hernandez, who is the frontrunner to take over at Barcelona, is also not expected to give Coutinho too many minutes. As a result, the club are looking to sell him in the winter transfer window to ease the stress on their bloated wage bill.
Newcastle United touted as a potential destination for Barcelona's Philippe Coutinho
Reports from Sport also state that Newcastle United could look to strike a deal with Barcelona for Philippe Coutinho. Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund recently bought a majority share of the Magpies, making them one of the richest clubs in Europe.
Newcastle United are said to be intent on making some statement signings in the winter transfer window. Coutinho, who has Premier League experience, could satisfy that need. If the Magpies choose not to buy the Brazilian, Barcelona could let him leave on a loan deal with an obligation to buy.
Philippe Coutinho's name already sounds strong for Newcastle United. The new Saudi owners of the English club prepare a multi-million dollar investment and a few months ago they already spoke with the Brazilian's environment to convince him. [sport]
Overall, Coutinho has made 101 appearances for the Blaugrana across all competitions. In those matches, he has scored just 24 goals and provided 14 assists.
Coutinho's crowning moment since joining Barcelona came when he won the treble on loan with Bayern Munich in the 2019-20 season. If anything, that indicates how the midfielder's dream move turned into a Spanish nightmare.