Barcelona appeared ready to offload him, and Bayern Munich could not commit on a permanent deal, Philippe Coutinho is moving closer on a possible return to the Premier League, where he played his best days with top-flight team, Liverpool. Reports said the Brazilian playmaker has a spot waiting for him in Chelsea.
The Brazilian playmaker made known his desire to play in England again when the Bavarians played against the Blues in a Champions League match. The stop in London allowed Coutinho to send out the information that another stint in English would be an exciting prospect for him.
According to Sky Sports, Kia Joorabchian, agent for the Brazil international, has spread the word that Coutinho is ready to compete in the Premier League when given a chance. There are clubs that the midfielder is interested in joining up with, but Chelsea seemed to be on top of the list.
Blues boss Frank Lampard is on a shopping mode and will likely explore the scenario of bringing the Barcelona star to Stamford Bridge.
However, Joorabchian has expressed reservation on the readiness of suitors to spend on Coutinho's transfer, given the financial pressure that the coronavirus pandemic has been causing on European football clubs. His concern stems from the expectation that Barcelona will want to recoup the amount paid for the winger.
Coutinho jumped from Anfield to Camp Nou in January 2018, and the transfer was paid for at £145 million. The Catalans will surely demand a selling price near that amount for clubs looking to acquire the Brazilian star.
The specter of breaking the bank is discouraging interested sides to make a permanent deal on the Barcelona outcast. Bayern seemed impressed with his showing so far but complained of inconsistency. But for the most part, the biggest stumbling block for Coutinho to officially join the Bundesliga club is his price tag.
For Chelsea, the club can only offer a loan deal, meaning Lampard will want to see first if his targeted acquisition will perform as promised before committing to a better agreement. It will be like prove your worth first, then you'd be embraced full time for Coutinho.
In any case, former Barcelona star Rivaldo sees the imminent move by Coutinho to Chelsea as a good option, according to Goal.
"He will move to a big club and to a country and competition he knows well where he had his best years so far ... I'm sure he will have a good chance of seeing things improve for him in the future, after all, he has already shined on the Premier League before," the Brazilian legend was reported as saying.
Rivaldo acknowledged that Coutinho has been struggling since moving out of Liverpool. He offered: "That could change with a new club and I believe this would be a nice opportunity for him to get back to his best football at Chelsea."
