A new report claims that Bayern Munich is highly interested in Barcelona forward Philippe Coutinho.
Bayern has been scouting for a forward, which a lot of people thought ended on Tuesday when Die Roten completed the transfer of Ivan Perisic. The Croatian winger was introduced to the media as part of the club the following day.
However, the search for a forward isn't over yet for Bayern, with the club still looking to add one more before the window closes. They have reportedly enquired about Coutinho, who is currently facing a questionable future at Barca. Following Mundo Deportivo's initial report, numerous outlets in Europe are reporting that Bayern has serious interest in Coutinho.
Meanwhile, Kicker notes that Coutinho's move to Bayern will depend on Neymar's future at Paris Saint-Germain. Coutinho is being included in a deal that will see Neymar back to Camp Nou. Should Barca fail to reach an agreement with PSG for Neymar, Die Roten will have a better chance of securing the transfer.
Kicker's claims are backed by Sky Sports in England. According to the outlet, Bayern is genuinely interested in Coutinho. The Bundesliga champs will try to sign the Brazilian forward on a two-year loan deal if Barca doesn't go through with a deal on PSG. Die Roten's interest in Coutinho has been confirmed by Barca's spokesperson, though they haven't reached an agreement yet.
The German club is waiting for a domino effect in the transfer window, according to Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. At the time, Bayern was heavily linked with Ousmane Dembele, and he could become one of the choices if Neymar makes its way back to Barca. Either way a late move from Bayern for Coutinho or Dembele is likely to depend on whether Neymar manages to seal a move to Catalan.
The Spanish champions saw Coutinho struggled to deliver consistently for them. Last week, he rejected transfer opportunities to Premier League clubs, so seeing him in Bundesliga will prove to be quite interesting. Of course, Barcelona will also request a high loan fee to recoup whatever they can in the 142 million euros they paid Liverpool last year.
When he is playing just behind the striker, it seems that Coutinho can deliver his best performances. Serge Gnabrycan, Thomas Muller, and Leon Goretzka all played this role at Bayern. Coutinho has the potential to improve the squad, but Die Rotten undoubtedly needs reinforcements in other positions.
