Coutinho refuses to leave Barcelona
Carlo Garganese
- 16 Nov 2021 08:52 GMT
- 3 min read
Barcelona flop Philippe Coutinho is refusing to leave the club in January, according to Sport.
The Blaugrana have been attempting to sell Coutinho permanently for well over a year, with Saudi-owned Newcastle United the team most linked ahead of the winter transfer window.
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But the Brazilian has made it clear he will not entertain any offers and wants to try and prove himself to new Barcelona manager Xavi.
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Big things were expected of the Brazilian when he made a controversial move to Barca from Liverpool in January 2018.
The Blaugrana splashed out an astronomical €120 million – plus up to €40m in bonuses – for Coutinho just months after their world record sale of Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain.
However, Coutinho has proven to be one of the biggest flops in Barca’s history.
He struggled to replicate the brilliant form he showed at Liverpool during his first 18 months in Catalunya.
This led to him being loaned out to Bayern Munich in the 2019-20 season but, despite winning the Champions League, he was only a bit-part player in their triumph.
How has Coutinho performed for Barcelona?
After returning to Barcelona for the 2020/21 campaign, he fell even further down the pecking order.
Last season, he made just 12 La Liga appearances – eight of them starts – and scored only three goals in all competitions.
He has fared little better this term, starting only four matches in all competitions and scoring once.
Coutinho has also struggled with injury and spent a large chunk of last season sidelined with a knee injury.
The 29-year-old also reportedly upset his teammates and interim coach Sergi Barjuan with his poor attitude when warming up as a substitute against Celta Vigo.
Coutinho’s contract at Barcelona runs until June 2023.
