The Philippe Coutinho saga at Barcelona has finally come to a (temporary) end.
After a season and a half of disappointing play at the Catalan club after being inked for a club record $160 million, Bayern Munich has secured a loan deal for the young Brazilian superstar for the 2019-20 season.
The German giants have paid Barcelona $9.1 million for the rights to Coutinho for this season, and they hold a $133 million purchase option at the end of the season if they want to make the Brazilian’s move permanent.
Coutinho fell out of favor in Barcelona after a sluggish 2018-19 season which saw him score only 11 goals in 54 matches. The 27-year-old often looked frustrated and lost in Ernesto Valverde’s squad, with a lack of confidence certainly affecting his overall play.
The Rio de Janeiro native was considered one of the most productive attackers in world soccer when he joined Barcelona from Liverpool in January of 2018. Coutinho scored 14 goals in 36 games with the Reds in a breakout 2016-17 campaign, and then got off to a hot start with the club the next season, which saw Barcelona bid for his services.
For now, though, Coutinho isn’t wanted in Barcelona, and he’ll have to use this chance with the reigning Bundesliga champions if he wants to put the shine on what was once a brilliant career.
