Barcelona is reportedly ready to transfer Philippe Coutinho to Bayern Munich, but they may want at least one player in return.
Bayern Munich made some tough decisions last summer in squad planning. The German club will have to make a few more decisions regarding the future of star players next summer. Philippe Coutinho is one of these players that will know their fate in Bavaria at the end of the current campaign.
Coutinho is currently on a one-year loan deal at Bayern. The German club has a set option to sign him permanently in June for €120 million. The Brazilian forward is reportedly happy at Bayern and doesn’t intend to go back to Barcelona.
According to Eldesmarque, Barcelona is ready to reduce their asking price for Coutinho to €50 million if Bayern agrees to involve one of Thiago Alcantara or Joshua Kimmich in this deal. The Spanish club also has no interest in bringing Coutinho back to La Liga.
Kimmich joining Barcelona is close to impossible unless there is a huge fallout between player and Bayern. Meanwhile, involving Thiago is a possible deal for Coutinho is not exactly a crazy idea. The Spanish midfielder has been a fine player for Die Roten over the years, but this could be the perfect time to cash in for him.
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Thiago was an important player for Niko Kovac during his 18-month spell at the club. The Spanish midfielder has not been the first choice midfielder since Kovac’s departure at the start of November. Moreover, his performances have been average this term. Die Roten has immense depth in midfield, so it will not be an outrageous idea to allow Thiago to leave and sign a young midfielder next summer.
Coutinho will also have to step up his game to convince Die Roten to sign him permanently. The Brazilian has been inconsistent but shown glimpses of his brilliance. Coutinho’s best performances for Die Roten came when he was given an extended run in the number ten role by Kovac.
The Croatian’s departure has been a setback for Coutinho as Hansi Flick prefers fielding Thomas Muller behind Robert Lewandowski. Swap deals are complex operations to execute, so it will be a big surprise if Bayern and Barcelona go that route.
Die Roten have many areas to address next summer, so I feel signing Coutinho for a lower fee could turn out to be a masterstroke. Thiago has been superb for Bayern in the past six seasons, but a return to Barcelona could benefit all the parties.