According English media outlet Express, Philippe Coutinho has been tipped to leave Barcelona for a return to Premier League with Manchester United and Chelsea keeping tabs on him. The latest reports claims the Catalan giants will reportedly demand only around €100million (£88m) to let the Brazilian go. Philippe Coutinho joined Barcelona from Liverpool in a £142million transfer deal back in the summer but, despite that, has struggled at the Nou Camp. As a result, talk is rife the Brazil international could join Manchester United either this month or at the end of the season. Reports from Catalan outlet Mundo Deportivo have claimed Manchester United have contacted the player’s agent about a transfer as they look to sharpen their vastly-improving attack. ESPN journalist David Aymoral believes a deal is unlikely this month. But Barcelona will reportedly demand around £88m to let the player go - which seems relatively low.
Aymoral told ESPN: “A deal looks rather unlikely in January, since the Blaugrana would want more than €100 million to even consider the departure of the crown jewel of their transfer campaign last winter.”
Which suggests Barcelona are willing to take a hit on the 26-year-old. Coutinho has a massive release clause of £355m. But, amid reports Barcelona would look to sell Coutinho to fund a stunning return for Neymar, they could overlook it by accepting lower bids. Any transfer, however, still appears unlikely. United have other areas of their squad they need to address, with a fresh central defender the priority. And Barcelona would still be reluctant to let Coutinho go just a year on from his arrival.
Meanwhile, South American expert Tim Vickery has claimed Barcelona have abandoned plans to mould Coutinho into a midfielder in the same ilk as Andres Iniesta. A year ago it looked like a disaster for Liverpool and great news for Barcelona,” Vickery told talkSport’s Trans Euro Express.
“It hasn’t worked out that way at all. “Philippe Coutinho now as a player and maybe as a person is kind of at a crossroads. “I didn’t really understand the idea behind Barcelona buying him as an Iniesta replacement, because I don’t see him as a genuine midfielder. “Now Barcelona seem to have abandoned the idea of playing him in midfield. “He looks sad. You’ve got to remember that Liverpool bought him (from the) bargain basement for a reason – he really hadn’t done in European football before he went to Liverpool, and he hadn’t really done it for Brazil.”

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