Negotiations have already begun to sign Philippe Coutinho this summer, although any possible deal will depend on the club’s takeover.
France Football article mentions that negotiations are taking place with Coutinho’s agent over a possible deal and claims that Tottenham and Everton are also interested in signing a player. The report does not mention any potential price, but current value of the footballer is at £50.4m, which makes it unlikely for Newcastle to be able to afford it. The Give Me Sport website mentions a Brazilian player as a ‘man capable of lighting up the Premier League, just as he did for Liverpool over two years ago’. The source says:
“A potential acquisition from the Saudi Public Investment Fund has been in the water for a while now and landing a player of Coutinho’s calibre early on in their reign would be quite the way to start things off.”
The source says that such addition to the team would get the Toon Army off their feet and that the player is known for its long-range goals.
Philippe Coutinho is currently playing for Bayern Munich, where his contract expires on 30 June 2020 and is on loan from FC Barcelona, where his contract expires on 30 June 2023. He turns 28 this week and will be on the move again this summer, with the limited options. The article on ESPN website from 3rd of June says Barcelona was the club that wanted him the most, which is not noticeable anymore. The club in which he was adored by fans and developed in, became stronger without his contribution.
Article states that Barcelona spent a whole summer chasing the footballer and later made him the most expensive player they have ever signed. In the article from Jan 8, 2018 the quote from Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu confirms it saying: “[Coutinho] is a player that Barcelona have been trying to bring here since last summer” after the player signed his contract. He joined them at the age of 25, which was supposed to be a start of a long-term career in this club.
In 2018 the player completed his transfer from Liverpool to Barcelona for a club-record fee, which was not confirmed publicly but in the article from Jan 8, 2018 on ESPN website is says it reached ‘£142 million, with Liverpool receiving £105m up front and the rest in performance-related add-ons.’
Article describes Barcelona being in debt, needing to raise $80 million this summer and that ‘Coutinho is the key, the player they think they can sell to balance the books’. It also adds that ‘Barcelona thought much the same last season and, faced with lack of credible alternatives, they ended up loaning him to Bayern Munich.’, which in return they received a fee of €8.5 million.
The article then asks a question what can be blamed for Philippe Coutinho failing Barcelona, with player now finding himself on loan at Bayern Munich. The club looking to move him on in a permanent deal may happened due to him not being able to cope defensively in a team. In the article from 12th of May on Sport Bible website, De Boer told talkSPORT per Liverpool Echo that:
"I think Coutinho is an unbelievable player but sometimes he doesn't fit the puzzle and maybe with another club it will perfectly go well. It doesn't mean he is a bad player. It doesn't mean that you are not a great player when you can't play for Barcelona - no.
It sometimes doesn't fit your style of play and sometimes you have bad luck, not bad luck, that Messi's around and he has that role, and then you have to do a different role that doesn't suit you a little bit.”
There were also good moments such as a league and cup double, with the goal in the Copa del Rey final. Article says he scored 10 goals in 22 matches and that ‘his second season began with the opening goal in the clásico’.
In February Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Bayern’s chief executive, said in article by Neil Jones on Goal website: “Sometimes he gives the impression that he’s inhibited,”. The article then moves to Flick that suggested the player problem was that he was trying too hard to impress. It says:
“Sometimes he puts a bit too much pressure on himself,” the coach told reporters. “He tries to put his stamp on the game when he plays, but not all decisions he makes are the right ones at the moment.”
What’s next for the player looks unclear. According to the Daily Mail:
“The reports suggests that a move for Coutinho will be very likely should Bin Salman get given the green light. However, Coutinho could once again be left in limbo if it falls through, leaving Barcelona with an extremely expensive player warming the bench once again.”