While a door remains open for Philippe Coutinho to play for Barcelona again, it is more likely that the Brazilian midfielder will head back to the Premier League next season. Reports said the Catalans are making it easier for interested English clubs to cut a deal on Coutinho, who is set to end his loan duty at Bayern Munich.
There were suggestions Barca boss Quique Setien is inclined to give the winger a shot at winning a spot on the club's first-team next season but the board saw it more prudent to cash in on the Brazilian. Coutinho's arrival to Camp Nou in January 2018 cost Barcelona £142 million and the Catalans are looking to recoup a part of that investment.
That is why the Spanish giants have made contacts with English sides known to be monitoring the development on the 27-year-old forward, Metro said, picking up on a report by Spanish publication Sport.
The latest offer from the La Liga side now only values Coutinho at £44.5 million but the Catalans made it clear that a deal can only be finalized if a player will be packaged with the required transfer fee. It is understood that the proposal from the Spaniards was sent to Tottenham and Chelsea.
It is the Blues, however, that likely will be more interested as the Frank Lampard side is on the search for a quality playmaker and is supposedly closing in on a deal with Leverkusen star Kai Havertz. But bringing the German to Stamford Bridge will force Lampard to cough up £75 million.
It would seem that Barcelona is hoping Chelsea will view Coutinho as the more prudent option.
There are players too on the London club that might interest the Setien side so the likelihood of reaching an agreement with Chelsea on Coutinho seemed higher than in any other clubs in the Premier League.
Meanwhile, initial reports have indicated that Manchester United considered joining the race to sign Coutinho in the past weeks but according to Express, the Red Devils have opted to drop out following the extension of Odion Ighalo's loan contract.
Old Trafford will likely get another 12 months of Paul Pogba so United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer might have thought to just leave Coutinho out of his hiring list. And he is more focused on getting Jack Grealish and Jadon Sancho to agree on transferring to his side next season.
Kia Joorabchian, Coutinho's agent, has stated that while United remains in the options of his client, the club will be the last on the list out of respect to the winger's time with Liverpool, which is acknowledged as the Solskjaer's side bitter rival in England.
