The economic resurgence of FC Barcelona looks real as they have started to clean their books. For two years now, the European giant isn’t a force on the transfer market due to financial difficulties. It is now either free agents or players who are ready to sacrifice wages. What makes the situation worse is the inability to ship out the redundant players, making them handicapped on choices of transfer. However, the first deal is done; Coutinho sold for €20M.
Barcelona signed Philippe Coutinho from Liverpool for $188M in 2018. Contrary to expectations, he couldn’t perform well in the Catalan side. Bayern took him on loan in 2020, won the Champions League, and returned him to the parent club. The situation got no better until he had to leave on loan to Aston Villa.
No matter how people see it, this deal is very positive for Barca. Coutinho had a huge salary which scared off potential buyers. Aston Villa took him on loan, paid his salary as part of the deal, and has given the player a new home. Barcelona cannot afford to miss out because any negotiation with another club will depend on the Brazilian’s willingness to play. They aren’t ready for similar “Umtiti” situations. The best choice is to cash out while you can.
Fans would wish to see some players leave in this summer and make way for their targets, like Lewandowski and Raphinha. The only way this can be possible is that Barca should be ready to accept lower prices, whether for transfer or loan deals. Already, the players’ high wages is a major problem. Once they choose to leave, the club doesn’t have the luxury to stiffness its position.
Just imagine what Barcelona can do if they increase their margins. Even with tied hands, Laporta and his team have shown promising results. For the second time in this economic recession, the Blaugranas qualify to feature in the UCL.
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