Barcelona Outcast ‘Very Close’ To January Loan Exit: Report

Getty Barcelona celebrate Philippe Coutinho's goal against Villarreal.

Philippe Coutinho could be set to leave Barcelona in January and return to the Premier League in a move which would free up space on the wage bill and allow the Catalan giants to register new signing Ferran Torres.

Barcelona are in negotiations with Aston Villa over a loan deal that would see Coutinho return to the Premier League, as reported by Helena Condis at Cope. The transfer would see the Brazilian spend the rest of the season at Villa Park.

Journalist Matteo Moretto adds that Coutinho is now “very close” to heading back to England where he played a starring role for Liverpool before signing for Barcelona in January 2018 and becoming the club’s record signing.

The move would see Coutinho reunited with former Liverpool teammate Steven Gerrard who was appointed Villa boss in November 2021 after a successful spell in charge of Scottish side Rangers.

Four other Premier League clubs, including Liverpool’s bitter local rivals Everton, are also interested in signing Coutinho, as reported by Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens at ESPN.

Coutinho has struggled to make an impact at the Camp Nou and was sent out on loan to Bayern Munich for the 2019-20 season. The Brazilian returned but has failed to become a regular at Barca and has only made five La Liga starts so far this season.

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Xavi Talks Barcelona Exits

Barcelona coach Xavi was asked about Coutinho’s situation at the club at a pre-match press conference on Tuesday, January 4 ahead of the team’s Copa del Rey clash against Linares Deportivo.

The 41-year-old said he had not spoken with the Brazilian but admitted that departures were needed if the club want to strengthen further in the January transfer window, as reported by Diario Sport.

“I have not spoken with Philippe. He’s a great professional and always contributed when he plays,” he said. “[But] for signings, there have to be exits, that’s obvious. Alves will be registered but with Ferran we will see with departures or if Ousmane renews. We need to balance the accounts [to make] signings. We’re working on it, but I have not spoken with Philippe.”

Alves Registered, Barcelona Still Waiting on Torres

Barcelona have since confirmed that Dani Alves has now been registered and is able to play after returning to the club on a free transfer. The 38-year-old has been included in the Copa del Rey squad and is expected to start at Linares.

Torres is not in the squad, due to injury and having tested positive for Covid-19, but is still not eligible to play. Barcelona director of football Mateu Alemany told reporters at the forward’s unveiling he is hopeful Torres will be registered imminently, as reported by ESPN.

“The reality is when we signed him we knew we didn’t have the salary limit,” he explained.  “Since then, we’ve been working hard and we’re convinced we will be able to register him before Sunday. We want him available for the coach [Xavi Hernandez] as soon as possible.”

Barca are hoping to be able to regster Torres by Friday, January 7, as reported by Javi Miguel at Diario AS. The Catalans are also not ruling out the possibility of Torres playing a part in the team’s next La Liga match against Granada, provided he tests negative for Covid-19.

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