Barcelona eager to sell former Liverpool star to pay off debt: Reports
Philippe Coutinho’s dream move from Liverpool to Barcelona has long turned into a nightmare, and it now appears the Brazilian is all set for an exit from the Camp Nou.
According to Daily Star, Barcelona are preparing to sell Coutinho to pay off the amount they owe to the Reds from his purchase. The Brazilian moved from Liverpool to Barcelona in January 2018 for an astronomical fee, but the Spanish giants still owe the Premier League side around €50m.
Coutinho joined Liverpool from Inter Milan in January 2013, and it was soon clear that the Reds had secured a gem. The Brazilian became one of the stars of Jurgen Klopp’s new-look side before Barcelona came calling. However, since his move to Camp Nou, Coutinho’s career has taken a downward dive, while injuries have also played spoilsport.
Coutinho has failed to establish himself under three different managers at Camp Nou. When he first arrived at Barcelona, Ernesto Valverde was in charge, but even after the arrival of Quique Setien and then Ronald Koeman, the Brazilian’s fortunes haven't changed.
As such, Barcelona are now eager to cut their losses and move the player on. The Blaugrana are even reportedly willing to play the rest of the current season without the former Liverpool man.
New Barcelona president Joan Laporta is determined to find a solution to the club's financial woes and could consider letting go of some players to find some stability. Among them are Coutinho, who could still fetch a tidy amount in the market. That could enable the Blaugrana to address their debt to Liverpool.
The player enjoys a mammoth salary and is the third-highest earner at the Camp Nou, which means a loan deal is not feasible from a financial perspective.
Philippe Coutinho could leave Barcelona to return to the Premier League
Barcelona and Philippe Coutinho were both eager to end their association last summer, with the player’s agent speaking to several clubs to secure a move for the Brazilian.
While it is not clear whether Liverpool were among clubs that were consulted, it is believed Arsenal and Chelsea were interested in Coutinho. A deal, however, failed to materialise, but both clubs could be willing to try once again this summer.
Barcelona will also be hurting from their 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League last season, where the former Liverpool player came off the bench to inflict humiliation on his parent club.