Winger Philippe Coutinho’s prospective return to his native Brazil has reached an impasse over the Barcelona star’s elevated salary demands. So, after he refused a January exit (football news), Coutinho may have himself sabotaged a move back to his homeland.
We have long known that Coutinho is looking to leave Barcelona imminently after three and a half underwhelming seasons there. The playmaker has still not settled at Camp Nou and is now keen to seek a new club.
However, his generous wage package in Catalunya all but rules out a move to even one of Serie A’s giants.
The Catalans too are happy to sanction a move, because they plan to raise £41 million off of football transfers. They’ll sell him despite the Brazilian playing a bigger part in the club’s plans during 2021-22 than in previous years.
Coutinho May Have Himself Sabotaged a Move Back to His Homeland
But while several Brazilian clubs may want a blockbuster homecoming for Coutinho, the chances of a deal finalizing are slim.
Coutinho earns €15 million a year at Barcelona, and wishes to maintain his salary at any potential new club.
However, such a figure would easily make him the best-paid player in Brazil by a considerable distance.
As a result, not even the nation’s wealthiest teams would be able to add that wage burden to their budgets. So, the likes of Flamengo, Corinthians, and Palmeiras have all but thrown their hands up for signing the Barcelona star.
At the same time, though, the Premier League is actually the ex-Liverpool star’s favoured destination. In fact, Coutinho’s management team have already made contact with clubs in England over a prospective move.
