Premier League Rumors: Barcelona Lowers Asking Price For Coutinho, Newcastle Holds Talks

Several players remain clueless about what will happen after this season. One of them is Philippe Coutinho currently signed with Barcelona but on loan with Bayern Munich. After this season, he holds an uncertain future with Barca not expected to hand him a new contract. Coutinho failed to live up to expectations following his big-money acquisition in 2018.

Bayern is unlikely to pursue him as well, meaning the Brazilian will be joining a new team next season. And it appears that Newcastle will be that team. However, there are still some loose ends. Though talks have been held by both parties, Coutinho’s tenure will also depend on how Saudi takeover plans turn out, France Football reported.

However, Newcastle is not the only one interested in Coutinho. As mentioned in a previous post, there are teams like Tottenham, Chelsea and Liverpool who have expressed interest. But The Magpies loom as the team leading the pack. But as mentioned earlier, that all depends on how the Saudi Arabia buyout turns out. The deal is marred by a lot of controversies such as allegations of illegal piracy, copyright infringements and even human rights issues. Despite the mounting problems ahead for Newcastle, it is pretty clear they want to take in the Brazilian winger.

However, a most recent development may complicate that pursuit for Coutinho. According to Sport, Barcelona has now lowered its asking price for Coutinho. And it appears they are holding talks with Chelsea for a player-plus-cash swap deal. Hence, Coutinho now becomes a cheaper option compared to Kai Havertz of Bayer Leverkusen.

Leverkusen is asking roughly $95 million for Havertz. Barca has countered that by offering Coutinho for $56 million. That is a big price-off compared to the hefty $181 million investment Barcelona spent on the Brazilian in 2018. In return, Barca wants a player or two, preferably a center-back or a left-back who will reinforce the team’s defensive unit. Among the players that Chelsea is believed to be unloading after this season is Marcos Alonso and/ or Emerson Palmieri.

Aware that HotSpur is also interested in Coutinho, Barca has also touched base with Tottenham. The terms are similar to the ones offered to Chelsea. As far as the player/s included in the deal, Barcelona is expecting their values to be roughly around $33 million.