Barcelona monitoring Philippe Coutinho’s situation

Aston Villa’s uncertainty over Philippe Coutinho’s future has raised the possibility of a transfer for the Brazilian player. Barcelona, who retain a 50% stake in his future sale, are closely monitoring the situation.

Despite his limited performance, with just one goal in 22 games last season, interest from teams in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, coupled with Barcelona’s involvement, could bring unforeseen financial gains.

Last year, Barça made a transfer deal with Villa involving Coutinho for €20m. The deal happened after Coutinho had completed two seasons on loan with the English team. In this transaction, under the leadership of Joan Laporta, Barcelona managed to secure a 50% share in any potential future sale of Coutinho, per ED. This summer, there’s a possibility of a sale as the Midlands club no longer have a role for the player.

In July, numerous Saudi Arabian teams expressed interest, and now it’s Qatar’s turn to pursue the footballer. Villa aim to secure a transfer fee exceeding €20m, with half of the amount to go to Barcelona.

He was involved in a pre-season friendly for Villa last Saturday, playing just under 30 minutes against Valencia.

Jake Staniland | GSFN