Barcelona hope for EIGHT-FIGURE bonus windfall
Tom Weber
- Updated: 28 Aug 2023 13:39 CDT
- 3 min read
Coutinho could be on his way out of Aston Villa, and Barcelona will be hoping that he chooses one particular destination.
The Brazilian's career has not panned out as expected. A star at Liverpool, Coutinho moved to Barcelona in January 2018 for a whopping €135 million and inadvertently helped to fund his former side's rise to the top. More so than that, his own career would never be the same following that transfer.
Coutinho struggled to live up to the hype and his inflated price tag at the Camp Nou. A loan move to Bayern couldn't reinvigorate his career, and although he did perform well enough on loan at Aston Villa to prompt them to make his stay permanent - for a measly €20m - the story has since been the same.
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Now, just a year on from his official arrival at Villa Park, Coutinho could once again be on the move, and there are two possible destinations.
Barca want Qatar
The 31-year-old's options appear to be Qatar or a return to LaLiga with Real Betis. The former would be a permanent transfer, and Coutinho has already agreed personal terms with Al-Duhail. The latter would be a loan move.
Barcelona will be hoping that Coutinho chooses Qatar because they reportedly inserted a hefty, 50 per cent sell-on clause in his Aston Villa contract.
READ: Barcelona prepare for Felix signing after Cancelo transfer
According to Fichajes, Coutinho's move could cost Al-Duhail €20 million, €10m of which would go straight into the Blaugrana's pockets, something that could be quite useful given the club's dire financial situation.
Fabrizio Romano, however, is urging patience and caution. Though personal terms are not an issue, Al-Duhail are yet to table a formal offer and there is still no assurance that a deal will be struck before the window slams shut at the end of the week.
