Barcelona midfielder Philippe Coutinho has ruled out a move to Manchester United following the jeers he received at Old Trafford last week.
According to a report by Spanish publication Sport, Philippe Coutinho has no intention to leave Barcelona in the summer transfer window. The report adds that even if the Brazilian were to leave the La Liga champions, it would surely not be for Manchester United.
Philippe Coutinho has seen his dream move to Barcelona go awry after a strong start to the stint in the second half of last season. This term, however, the Brazilian has been unable to find any semblance of consistency, with a paltry return of 5 goals and 2 assists in 30 La Liga appearances.
In fact, Coutinho can arguably count himself lucky for having an extended run in the side since the turn of the year, owing to the injury problems that have beset Ousmane Dembele’s campaign. The player’s struggles though, have given way to speculation surrounding his future, with Manchester United in the hunt for him, as per widespread reports.
The interest in Coutinho could perhaps be explained by the fact that Ander Herrera is facing an uncertain future at the club. But, Coutinho is not exactly a like-for-like replacement for the Spaniard, although he could boost Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s creative options in the middle of the park.
Alternatively, Coutinho could also play in the hole in one of the Manchester United manager’s preferred formations – the 4-4-2 with a midfield diamond. To that end, the Barcelona midfielder came off as a viable target for the Premier League heavyweights to pursue.
Manchester United though, are now set to face a big blow in pursuit of Coutinho, who has ruled out a switch to Old Trafford. The suggestions confirm recent reports that had suggested that the Brazilian had no intention to make his way back to the Premier League, and wanted to stay put at Barcelona.
While the second part of those reports are indeed true, his decision to not join Manchester United has been influenced by the jeers he received from the Old Trafford faithfuls in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg between Barcelona and the Premier League giants.
The report claims that Chelsea and PSG have their sights set on Coutinho as well. But, it looks like Manchester United can end their hopes of securing the services of the Barcelona superstar in the summer transfer window.
