Rumor Mongering: Barcelona Reportedly Want £130 Million for Coutinho

Forget add-ons, Liverpool should have included a sell-on fee! At least that’s what the rumor mongers would have you believe when it comes to Philippe Coutinho’s continuing struggles at Barcelona.

After reporting that the Catalan Giants would be willing to part with their previously-cherished Brazilian for £100 million, or maybe even as little as £90 million, ESPN is now reporting they actually want £130 million for Couts.

Go ‘head.

Despite comfortably leading La Liga and looking to be a shoe-in for the Champions League semifinals once again, Barcelona are apparently in need of a drastic overhaul. According to the report, Coutinho is just the headliner in a list of 11 names the club is hoping to offload in the summer. Other players apparently include Samuel Umtiti, Malcom, Jasper Cillessen, Ivan Rakitic, Denis Suarez, Andre Gomes, Arda Turan, Douglas and Adria Ortola.

The report also lists Coutinho’s transfer fee between Liverpool and Barcelona as £105 million, instead of the more widely reported £142 million, which includes the transfer’s add-ons (most of which have already been triggered). This detail alone makes me think this is purely media spin (which we know Barcelona and/or agents would never do).

Because. Really. Coutinho hasn’t lost value whilst riding the pine? Quite the contrary, apparently! We (the Barcelona we) could sell him for much more than we bought him for! No, really! Just think of all the experience he’s gotten lacing Messi’s boots!

It seems unlikely that Barcelona would be able to find a buyer willing to go anywhere near that number. Liverpool certainly wouldn’t shell out that kind of dough to get their former player back. Even Manchester United, who could afford such an outlandish fee, would probably not want to approach such a lofty asking price.

Anyway, this is a thing that’s out there. It’s nice to sit back and enjoy the media circus from afar instead of being forced to sit front and center.