A recent report from Diario Sports has offered an update on the future of Philippe Coutinho. The Brazilian is one of many unwanted players set to leave Camp Nou in the summer.
Coutinho was loaned out to Aston Villa in January because of his good relationship with manager Steven Gerrard. The striker had a good start to the season as well, displaying his previous form at Liverpool and assisting on eight goals in his first eight games.
However, Coutinho's lack of consistency has returned, with the Barcelona star failing to score or assist a single goal since a 3-0 win against Leeds United last month. It has coincided with Aston Villa's four-game losing streak.
Such a slump in form has prompted Barcelona to contemplate the potential of Aston Villa electing not to activate his €40 million buyout option or, to a lesser extent, lowering the margin.
While Gerrard is still optimistic, the Aston Villa board is not convinced by Coutinho's performances. They want to reduce the buyout clause by half and are only ready to pay €20 million.
Given the intricacies, Barcelona has instructed Coutinho's agents to begin discussing personal conditions with other Premier League teams.
Aside from Aston Villa, the Brazilian international has been courted by a number of major English teams, including Arsenal, Manchester City, and Newcastle United.
Barça considers Coutinho's sale to be a vital component of their summer transfer agenda, with their whole operation of adding new players and rebuilding the team relying on the departure of the Brazilian, as well as a few other undesirable talents such as Antoine Griezmann.
As a result, the Catalans will do all possible to force Coutinho's departure. The player has expressed dissatisfaction with moves to Newcastle or Arsenal, but much more will be revealed in the coming weeks as we approach the end of the season.
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