Barcelona are reportedly set to offer Chelsea two new options to sign Philippe Coutinho as the Catalan side step up their efforts to sell the Brazilian playmaker.
The 27-year-old is still on a loan spell at Bayern Munich until the end of the season.
But Bayern reportedly made it clear they will not exercise the permanent option and Barcelona chiefs do not see Coutinho’s future at Camp Nou.
According to a report from the Sun, Barcelona are struggling to find an outright buyer as the global crisis causes uncertainty in the transfer market.
Barcelona are growing desperate as they look to regain some of the £142million they paid to Liverpool in 2018.
The report claimed Barcelona have slapped a new price tag of £75m for Coutinho and also made him available for a season-long loan.
It further adds Barcelona would be willing to cover around half of Coutinho’s £290,000-a-week salary.
This would align Coutinho’s salary with Chelsea’s other top earners Kepa Arrizabalaga and N’Golo Kante who earns £150,000 weekly (Spotrac) and could save the Blues close to £10m in wage budget.
The previous report from Spanish publication Sport said Chelsea and Barcelona are in negotiations for a loan deal.
Chelsea reportedly want to bring Coutinho to Stamford Bridge on a loan deal with an option to buy. However, Barcelona want to make the permanent option as an obligation, rather than an option.
Read also:
- Agent explains potentially decisive factor in Philippe Coutinho’s transfer saga
- Chelsea fans in heated debate on reported Chelsea’s interest in Coutinho
- Report explains how much Chelsea would have to pay to sign Coutinho
- Why Coutinho could be a cheaper alternative to Jadon Sancho for Chelsea
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