Philippe Coutinho has reportedly agreed to a summer move to Barcelona, with Liverpool set to demand €90 million for him.
Spanish publication Sport have reported that Philippe Coutinho has given the green light to a switch to Camp Nou in the summer transfer window. Meanwhile, Liverpool are set to demand €90 million from Barcelona to sell the Brazilian.
Coutinho’s career has taken off ever since he secured a move to Liverpool from Inter Milan in 2013. In the four years that have followed, the 24-year-old has established himself as an integral component in the Liverpool first-team setup before blossoming into one of the best players in the Premier League.
The last two years have seen Coutinho go from strength to strength, having become Liverpool’s talisman. Always one of the first names on the team sheet when fit, Coutinho has played 34 games in all competitions for the Reds, scoring 11 goals while also providing 8 assists.
The last two years have also seen him become a regular in the Brazil national team, and he is starting to become a highly sought after player. Several clubs have registered an interest in signing him but Barcelona have always remained as the front-runners in the race to sign him.
Barcelona’s interest in Coutinho is well documented, with the Catalan club making it a priority to reinforce their midfield in the summer. And having monitored his progress for a long time now, the Brazilian has been one of their top targets.
Andres Iniesta has, yet again, been one of the most influential players for Barcelona this season, but he is on the wrong side of 30 and is slowly approaching the end of his glittering career.
With Ivan Rakitic experiencing a dip in form this term, and with summer signings Denis Suarez and Andre Gomes struggling to settle at Camp Nou, it is imperative for Barcelona to sign a top quality midfielder in the summer.
However, Barcelona have not made any official contact with Liverpool yet, and will wait for the season to end before they register their interest in him officially. Liverpool, though, are well aware of their interest and are set to hold out for €90 million in exchange for the Brazilian’s services.
Meanwhile, Coutinho has agreed to making the switch to Camp Nou in the summer, and it remains to be seen if Barcelona are ready to shell out Liverpool’s asking price or negotiate an amount that is more acceptable to them.
Liverpool’s stance in the situation is clear. They are unwilling to sell Coutinho, having agreed a new long-term deal with him earlier this year, and will only let go of their prized asset for their asking price. It will now be interesting to see if the move indeed happens or if Liverpool manage to keep hold of Coutinho.
