Philippe Coutinho’s exit confirmed by Barcelona president

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has indicated a potential deadline for Philippe Coutinho’s exit from the team. The player is currently serving loan on Aston Villa and would play for the Premier League side till the end of the season. Steven Gerrard's side has the option to offer a permanent contract to the Brazilian player and Barca is hoping to offload Coutinho while they continue their restructuring under Xavi.

The Catalan giants are gearing up to make a move on major players who would be available this summer, with the likes of Erling Haaland or Kylian Mbappe making a move. Barca would have to offload a few players to make way for the new players, and Coutinho’s sale could help them do that with many Premier League sides interested in the player.