Philippe Coutinho has spent the season at Bayern Munich on loan from Barcelona but will not be staying at the Bundesliga champions on a permanent basis.
Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge told Moritz Leihkamm at Bild that the club are not prepared to splash the cash to keep Coutinho at the club for another season.
He said: “Coutinho – as I said, the contract is running out and we cannot and will not make any further investments of this magnitude.”
Bayern signed Coutinho on loan for a fee of €8.5 million. The deal included the option for the Bundesliga side to purchase the Brazilian on a permanent basis for €120m.
Coutinho has made 35 appearances in all competitions for Bayern this season, scoring nine times and contributing eight assists. He’s helped the club to a league and cup double and faces parent club Barcelona in the Champions League quarter-finals on Friday.
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No Way Back for Coutinho at Barcelona?
Barcelona invested heavily to bring Coutinho to Barcelona from Liverpool, paying $172.25 million for the Brazilian, but have been unable to get the best out of the gifted playmaker.
The club are keen to sell the 28-year-old this summer but are finding it difficult to attract buyers, according to Sid Lowe at ESPN. His huge price tag is a problem for potential buyers, while he is also on enormous wages at the Camp Nou.
According to Mike McGrath at The Telegraph, Coutinho earns “more than £200,000-a-week” at the Camp Nou. Barca are said to be willing to pay a portion of his wages to secure a transfer and would consider “a swap deal or transfer, for the right deal.”
Coutinho Wants Premier League Return
Coutinho’s agent Kia Joorabchian has said the 28-year-old could still stay at Barcelona but has made it clear the Brazilian would like to head back to the Premier League where he shone so brightly with Liverpool.
“After the Champions League, it’s not been a secret that he wants to come back to the Premier League if he can; he loves playing in the Premier League and is adored in the Premier League. It is one of his priorities… but he is also not against staying at Barcelona, so it is very much open.”
A return to the Reds has been deemed ‘impossible’ by Simon Hughes at The Athletic, but a loan move to Premier League rivals Arsenal has been heavily rumored.
Coutinho is currently in Portugal with the Bayern squad preparing for the Champions League which means any move will have to wait until the Bundesliga giants complete their European commitments.
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Why Bayern Don’t Want to Sign Coutinho From Barcelona