Bayern Munich expire purchase option for Philippe Coutinho
Bayern Munich confirm expiration of purchase option for Philippe Coutinho.
Philippe Coutinho has become the talking point for Bayern Munich in the past couple of weeks. The Brazilian forward is currently nursing an injury, but there has been speculation about where he is set to play next season.
A recent twist in Coutinho’s future at Die Roten was reported in Spain. However, the Brazilian international’s agent insisted that no decision has been made about his future. Coutinho is focussing on making a swift return and play for Rekordmeister in the Bundesliga.
After arriving with so many expectations in Bavaria last summer, Coutinho struggled to deliver consistently. He has adapted to the Bundesliga, but his performances fluctuate between extremes. On some days, he is unplayable, while on other days, he becomes a passenger on the pitch.
Die Roten has finally decided against taking up the option to sign Coutinho permanently for €120 million from Barcelona. Speaking to Der Speigel (via Goal), Karl-Heinz Rummenigge confirmed that the clause has expired, but the club will assess soon whether the Brazilian will feature in their plans next summer.
"“The option expired and we haven’t activated it.”“We’re going to plan our squad for next season and we’ll see if he still has a role to play with us or not.”"
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Rummenigge’s comments surely suggest that Coutinho doesn’t have a future at the club. However, there could be still a glimmer of hope for the Brazilian to play in Bavaria next season. This hope largely relies on the German club’s pursuit of signing Kai Havertz from Bayer Leverkusen.
Rekordmeister may look to bring the Brazilian on loan again as Barcelona are likely to be desperate to offload the player due to their recent financial struggles. It does not make sense for Die Roten to just pay this hefty fee if there is a scope of negotiation due to the financial situation of the selling club.
Earlier in the season, there were reports in Spain that Barcelona will be ready to negotiate a fee lower than this clause to offload Coutinho. Allowing the clause to expire amidst the coronavirus crisis may help Die Roten to secure the Brazilian for one more season at a lesser fee. They may even negotiate a cheaper clause to sign him permanently at the end of the 2020/21 season.
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There is still a strong chance that Coutinho will not play for Bavarians next season, but the expiration of the clause does not mean it is the end of the road for him in Munich. Everything is likely to depend on Die Roten’s pursuit of Havertz. Considering the knockback effect of coronavirus on the transfer market, it is unlikely that the club will spend big on both Leroy Sane and Havertz in one window.