Rumor Mongering: Barcelona Lower Coutinho Price to £44.5M

Former Liverpool player Philippe Coutinho turns 28-years-old tomorrow. Many would have expected the Brazilian player to be in or near his prime right now, including his current club Barcelona, who were so sure that they dished out the third-highest transfer fee of all time for him in January of 2018.

Two and a half years after completing a £142 million move, it appears Barcelona could be ready to take a big hit on Coutinho, potentially selling him for a £100 million loss. According to Spanish publication Sport, Barcelona is actively shopping Phil to Premier League clubs, specifically Chelsea and Tottenham. Further, they report they’d be willing to let him go for as little as £44.5 million.

This speculation comes after Coutinho failed to live up to Barcelona’s lofty standards at Camp Nou, and after Bayern Munich decided not to pursue the option to buy after his loan deal.

The transfer away from Liverpool—which appeared to be a risky one for the Reds to many pundits at the time—only looks better as time goes on. Not only did FSG and Michael Edwards get maximum value in the deal, they reinvested the money in a way that greatly strengthened the the side. The move looks even better in a post-corona world, where clubs will be hesitant about splashing large amounts of cash around, even for the most talented players.