Coutinho Briefly Returning To Barcelona, Next Stop Remains A Mystery

Philippe Coutinho has wrapped up his stint with Bayern Munich, capping his loan spell with a Champions League stint. Now, he faces a grim reality as he sets to return to Barcelona. But the thing here is that his return could be a brief one. The Brazilian is clueless about what the future holds though there are multiple clubs interested in him.

Originally, Coutinho planned to help Barca win the European Cup. Unfortunately, Barca does not appear to have plans for the 28-year-old midfielder and there is a growing belief that he will be playing elsewhere. The only problem now is that his next stop is unknown.

Before the Champions League, Coutinho did not give his future much thought. He was focused on helping Bayern and now all that has passed. Expectedly still at a high, it may only be a matter of time before the Brazilian finally realizes that he needs to figure out what is next in his football career.

"On my future, I haven’t thought about it because I’m only thinking about the final," Coutinho said to Esporte Interactive.

Despite being hit by an ankle injury, Coutinho made a good account of himself during the 2019-20 season. He is credited with 11 goals and nine assists across all competitions. The number of goals he made was the same as what he had with Barca paired with only five assists, Goal reported. That effort was enough to keep him there following a move from Liverpool in 2018.

Coutinho could be of use to other teams although some financials need addressing. One is the payments involving the Brazilian between Barca and Liverpool. The Reds have already gotten the majority of the $138 million agreed upon but are still owed roughly $5.6 million.

This is the part where things become a bit tricky. The deal was for Coutinho to be playing for Barcelona. The Brazilian is still 15 matches away from that meaning Barca will have to play Coutinho first if they intend to get that balance from Liverpool.

As mentioned in a previous post, one team that is interested in Coutinho is Arsenal F.C. It would be a sensible move considering the Gunners are looking to beef up their defensive side. The scenario would still see the Brazilian on loan though some other club could come in - especially after the Champions League triumph.