Barcelona set for massive win as they plot Kante-Coutinho swap
Barcelona are desperate to get Philippe Coutinho off their books.
It has become quite clear that there is no future at Barcelona for Philippe Coutinho regardless of if manager Quique Setién believes there still may be a role for him in his team.
With the player unlikely to stay at Bayern Munich the Catalans have made up their mind that one of their priorities during the transfer window will be to move him on. Coutinho has received interest from a handful of Premier League sides.
More from Everything Barca
- FC Barcelona tracking Belgian Wonderkid
- FC Barcelona vs Betis Player Ratings
- Barça boss Xavi to get contract extension
- FC Barcelona planning swoop for Arsenal midfielder
- Barcelona interested in €30 million wonderkid
Chelsea have been one of the teams heavily linked with the London-based side considering a possible loan deal with an option to buy.
According to Mundo Deportivo, another avenue this could take involves a potential swap deal.
The deal would see Coutinho heading to Chelsea with midfielder N’Golo Kanté heading to the Camp Nou.
The club’s sporting area consider the French midfielder as the best in the world when it comes to ball recovery and believe he’s the type of player can have a significant impact on a team.
While he is a World Cup winner and one of the best in his position, player swap deals are always tricky and Chelsea might not want to involve him in a deal.
Not to mention the fact that Barcelona still have an over-abundance in midfield. One of the reasons why they are interested in Kanté is because another part of their plan is selling both Ivan Rakitic and Arturo Vidal.
With them gone, the club believes they need another physical player in midfield. It is why they are also interested in Spurs’ Tanguy Ndombele. If they go that route then they’re also going to be limiting playing time for some of their academy midfielder.
Enough has been said and written about Riqui Puig and Carles Aleña but it’s time for them to be given a shot and see how good they can be. If the interest is also to start phasing out Sergio Busquets, then they don’t need to look outside for a replacement.
They already have Frenkie de Jong who played a similar role while he was with Ajax. One of the reasons why he has not shined with Barcelona as he did with his former side is because he’s yet to be played in his natural position.
He’s not been trusted with the responsibility of being the one to build a play and be a driving force in midfield.
dark. Next. Barcelona opens its doors to exit-seeking Real Madrid legend
Loan deals have rarely worked for Barcelona. They have to be resigned to the fact that they are not going to recuperate most of the money they paid for Coutinho. The least they could do is accept that and work on a deal that sees Coutinho off their book once and for all.