Why Barca won't sell Coutinho to Man Utd or Man City

It is no secret that Philippe Coutinho has failed to flourish at Barcelona as expected during his near four years with the club.

The player signed from Liverpool for £121.5 million in January 2018 has failed to kick on after a highly successful time at Anfield.

So it comes as no further shock that the Barcelona hierarchy, as well as new head coach Xavi, are looking to move Coutinho on with the intention of getting his high salary off the wage bill and free up some funds to start a rebuild.

Coutinho is the highest earner at the club. With the club's much-publicised financial troubles, they need to sell before they can buy. Then they can begin the building of a new squad that can return Barca to former glories.

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Coutinho and a move back to the Premier League

Newly-rich Newcastle have been linked with the player who must be tempted by a return to a Premier League ,where he played his best football.

But Sport reports that Camp Nou execs have offered the Brazilian to the Manchester clubs.

The undoubted priority for Barcelona is the signing of City's Ferran Torres, with recent reports the player has spoken of his desire to return to Spain with the club.

But Barcelona have also spoken to United about the possibility of a move for Anthony Martial and Edison Cavani as well as City's Raheem Sterling.

They hope to use Coutinho as leverage to reduce the potential transfer fee for these players, but it appears neither City nor United will be tempted with this ploy.

Firstly, both clubs would prefer transfer fees as opposed to player swaps for their players.

But from a footballing sense, Coutinho to either club doesn't make sense.

City signed Jack Grealish for £100m in the summer and despite the England international failing to impress over the first half of the season, they will not give up on him after just four months.

United, despite their recent struggles, have a wealth of attacking options in the Coutinho mould. The likes of Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood are all younger men and all very much in the picture as a new era under interim manager Ralf Rangnick gets underway.

Barcelona will have to look for other solutions to their Coutinho problem.