Barcelona are reportedly fearful of playing Philippe Coutinho, with the Catalan club due to send Liverpool another €5m once the Brazilian features in another seven games for the side, according to Esport3 show Onze.
The former Reds star has been heavily linked with a Camp Nou departure at the end of the season, with the La Liga outfit said to be desperate for an influx of funds.
🔥 EL BARÇA NO VOL PAGAR MÉS PER COUTINHO
🎙️ Javi Miguel:🔊 "Una de les prioritats del club és estalviar i ell té variables per partits jugats i no se'n vol pagar més per ell"
🔊 "Està a 7 partits que el Barça hagi de pagar 5M€ més i això no passarà…"#OnzeE3 pic.twitter.com/Gt7TMMHj7Z
— Onze (@OnzeTv3) February 9, 2021
The 28-year-old arrived in Spain to much fanfare, and rightly so, considering his status as one of the leading talents, at the time, in world football (not to mention his hulking £142m fee).
That being said, the playmaker’s outer meniscus rupture will likely put him out of action until the latter-end of the season, at which point Ronald Koeman may be spared from a difficult conversation over playing time.
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It’s strange to think of the Spanish powerhouse as being so skint to the point of being afraid of add-ons.
Given how the finances of clubs across Europe have been ravaged by the ongoing pandemic, however, it’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility that such an added payment could further damage the side’s already fragile finances.
Considering the dire circumstances plaguing Barcelona, one would have to wonder what on earth would prompt key players like Gini Wijnaldum to be interested in a switch to Spain.