Coutinho deal close! Barca flop’s future club finally known
Robin Bairner
- Updated: 6 Jan 2022 19:00 GMT
- 3 min read
Philippe Coutinho is set to leave Barcelona and return to the Premier League, with a deal possible in the next 24 hours.
Since arriving at Camp Nou from Liverpool in January 2018, the Brazil international attacker has struggled to find his best level and has been on the fringes of the team for months. Indeed, he even spent the 2019/20 season on loan at Bayern Munich.
Coutinho, who previously starred for Inter and Liverpool, is on his way back to the Premier League, where he experienced the best years of his career at Anfield.
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It was reported that as many as six clubs were interested in the midfielder, with Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham among the team associated with a move. Sky Sports, however, reported that there was no interest from the Reds or Spurs.
Coutinho, though, is heading back to England, with Mundo Deportivo stating that a deal could be completed rapidly with Aston Villa, who are now managed by his former Liverpool team-mate Steven Gerrard.
Issues to overcome
While a deal looks well on course to take Coutinho to Villa, who invested heavily in the likes of Danny Ings and Emiliano Buendia in the summer only to get little return, there are still some minor hurdles to overcome.
The first of these is that Barca want a compulsory purchase clause installed into the loan. This would mean that at the end of the initial six-month period, which the clubs have agreed, he will become an Aston Villa player. However, the Premier League side are resisting this.
Secondly, Villa are trying not to take on the load of Coutinho’s full wages. These remain at a high level given that he never accepted a cut in his salary when the pandemic struck.
What this means for Barca
Coutinho’s departure is huge news for Barcelona as it will mean that his wage (or at least the bulk of it), will be removed from their budget and should play a large part in allowing Ferran Torres to be registered.
The Spain forward was signed from Manchester City last week but the club must make room on their wage bill before he can play.
Loaning out Coutinho would allow Barcelona to do just that, while Aston Villa will be tasked with unlocking the star’s undoubted potential.
