Barcelona ‘Racing Against the Clock’ to Sell Coutinho & Todibo

Philippe Coutinho

Getty Philippe Coutinho's future is uncertain

Barcelona are pushing hard to sell Philippe Coutinho and Jean-Clair Todibo before the end of June.

The Catalan giants need to raise €70 million ($78m) to balance the books and are “racing against the clock” to close deals for the two players, according to Sport’s Luis Miguelsanz.

Todibo has spent the season on loan at Schalke and has a “loose agreement” to join Premier League side Everton. The defender is “waiting for a better offer,” while Barcelona want to sell him for €25m ($28m).

A deal for Coutinho looks more tricky. The Brazilian has also spent the season away from the Camp Nou with Bundesliga champions Bayern. Premier League clubs Chelsea, Tottenham and Newcastle are keen but seem more interested in taking him on loan. Barca are willing to accept an offer of €70m for a player they signed for a reported fee of €160m ($175m) in 2018.

Coutinho Wants Premier League Return

Coutinho’s agent, Kia Joorabchian, has made it clear the Brazil international wants to return to the Premier League where he shone for Liverpool.

“He has a desire to come back to the Premier League at some point. It may not happen this year, it may happen this year – we don’t know. We have not discussed anything for now.”

Yet his big price tag and wage demands are likely to prove problematic. The 28-year-old earns more than €220,000-a-week ($248,000) at Barcelona. The club are willing to pay a proportion of his wages if he ends up moving on loan this summer rather than on a permanent deal, according to Mike McGrath at The Telegraph.

Bayern Munich has already confirmed they won’t activate the purchase clause in his contract but are keen to extend his loan until the end of the season in August, according to Sky in Germany.

There have also been rumors Coutinho return to former club Liverpool. However, Simon Hughes at The Athletic has described such a move as “impossible.”

Todibo Can Bring In Big Profit

Todibo is another Barcelona player who could be heading to the Premier League. The Catalans have a good relationship with Everton and have offloaded Andre Gomes, Yerry Mina and Lucas Digne to the Toffees in recent seasons.

The French center-back is viewed as an exciting prospect but hasn’t impressed during a brief loan spell with Schalke. His contract included a purchase option of €25m but the club has already confirmed it has expired without being taken up.

Todibo only turned 20 in December and offers plenty of potential. The youngster arrived from Toulouse in January 2019 for a small fee, meaning Barca can make a big profit if a club is able to match their asking price.

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