Philippe Coutinho to Chelsea? Barcelona outcast would 'be a steal' as fans react to transfer link
As at any level of football, key deals depend on more than just one player.
Philippe Coutinho's dream move to Barcelona didn't go quite as the Brazilian had hoped, with the former Liverpool star struggling to gel alongside the likes of Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.
Oh, and Liverpool didn't exactly miss him either.
Coutinho is currently on loan at Bayern Munich for the 2019/20 season, with the Bundesliga champions paying an €8.5million fee plus the Brazilian's wages - a decent deal for Barca considering the Spanish side's struggles to balance a huge wage bill.
That wage bill - plus a frosty relationship between Barca and PSG - ultimately scuppered Neymar's return to Catalonia in the summer, but Standard Sport understands the Blaugrana are prepared to wait until summer 2020 to re-sign the Brazilian.
But despite the size of the club, and a suggestion that Neymar is prepared to accept a drop from his current salary to return to Barca, the Spanish champions must make some big changes to accommodate him.
Bayern reportedly have the option to sign Coutinho for €120m in summer 2020, but that is a huge fee considering how well Borussia Dortmund have operated in the market of late in terms of signing young attacking talent at reasonable prices.
Should Bayern fail to make their move, Spanish outlet El Desmarque report that Chelsea are ready and waiting - and it's a move that could make a lot of sense. The Blues are certainly lacking creativity despite sitting fourth in the table, while Coutinho was a tried-and-tested Premier League star at Liverpool.
Understandably, the prospect of signing a player like Coutinho has got some Chelsea fans excited...
Time will tell regarding Coutinho's fate: Hansi Flick has been given the chance to impress as Bayern's interim manager following Niko Kovac's exit in early November, though the next club's permanent boss may have big plans for Coutinho... or look for cheaper alternatives elsewhere.
