Barcelona want to make sure Philippe Coutinho is not in their squad next season, according to Mundo Deportivo journalist Miguel Rico.
It’s claimed the Brazil international is keen on making a switch to the Premier League this summer.
Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United and Leicester City have emerged as suitors for the 28-year-old.
With regards to the Magpies and Brendan Rodgers’ side, Rico states the two clubs’ idea is to make the attacking midfielder their ‘franchise player’.
The La Liga winners are clear they want to sell the South American and his agent, Kia Joorabchian, has already held talks with clubs in England. According to the report, the former Liverpool star is going to be expensive, both in terms of salary and transfer fee.
Barca invested €145m in signing Coutinho and although they are demanding €80-90m now, Rico claims the Camp Nou side will sanction sale for half of what they invested in 2018.
It’s not clear if either Newcastle or Leicester are ready to invest so heavily on a player, especially with football finances being impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
There’s also no mention if a loan transfer with an option to buy will be considered by Barcelona.
