Bayern Munich close to signing Philippe Coutinho from Barcelona

Barcelona forward Philippe Coutinho has reportedly agreed to join Bayern Munich.

Bayern Munich has been trying to improve the attacking department of the squad this summer. The German Champions finally signed a forward this week as Ivan Perisic joined the club from Inter Milan. After the Croatian winger’s arrival, Die Roten is reportedly closing on the transfer of Philippe Coutinho.

Radio Catalunya (RAC) in Spain is reporting that Coutinho has given his nod to the transfer to Bayern Munich. This outlet further claims that the Brazilian forward will complete this move on Sunday. Cope’s Helena Condis insists that Karl-Heinz Rummenigge had a meeting with Coutinho earlier this week. The Brazilian winger was omitted from Barcelona’s matchday squad against Atletic Bilbao.

This claims from Spain are now gathering pace in Germany. According to Sky Sports in Germany, Bayern is close to signing Coutinho from Barcelona. Paris Saint-Germain couldn’t agree to the financial demands of the Brazilian forward. This eventually paved the way for Die Roten to swoop in for the Brazil international.

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SportBild is also reporting that the agreement is close between all the parties. The German news outlet insists that it will be a one-year loan deal and Bayern will have an option to sign him permanently next summer. Meanwhile, Guardian’s Fabrizio Romano is insisting that there is total agreement between all the parties regarding this transfer.

Barcelona was reportedly keen to include Coutinho in the transfer to bring Neymar Jr from PSG. Die Roten had reportedly enquired about the former Liverpool winger last week. The German club was ready to go through with the deal if Barca fails to send Coutinho to PSG.

Coutinho is at his best centrally and he is likely to play the same role, that James Rodriguez used to play at Bayern in the last two seasons. The Brazilian can thread defense splitting passes, along with having the knack of scoring goals from setpieces. Coutinho can also play on the left side of the front three. He has struggled to replicate his best form at Barcelona, so a change of scenery might help to kickstart his career.

The Brazilian winger is likely to be Die Roten’s last summer acquisition. Earlier today, Bayern was reportedly closing on the transfer of Mickael Cuisance from Borussia Monchengladbach. It has not been an ideal summer window for the Bundesliga champions, but the additions of Coutinho, Perisic and Cuisance will provide more balance to the squad.