Lionel Messi livid at Ronald Koeman’s transfer choice for Barcelona

Lionel Messi and Ronald Koeman caught on different sides of a coin.

Barcelona were trounced 8-2 by Bayern Munich, and while the dampened spirits are steadily recovering, the fact that Philippe Coutinho, the club’s world record signing scoring two, would take some time to ease from. Nevertheless, the former Liverpool winger is likely to come back from his loan in the Bundesliga with no permanent buyer found as yet.

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Arsenal were keen on landing him some time ago, but the Gunners eventually failed in signing Coutinho even on a loan deal. Subsequently, Ronald Koeman being announced as the Barca head coach meant that the Brazil international may have ultimately had a future at the Camp Nou, but with Lionel Messi involved, it’s a different ballgame, Diario GOL claims.

Koeman is ready to give Coutinho his final chance at the club considering that a whopping sum of 142 million euros was spent behind him not even three years back. With that said, one of those seasons has been at loan and should the player win the Champions League with Bayern Munich, the Blaugrana would have to pay Liverpool additional 5 million euros.

Barca need to keep Messi happy now.

On the other hand, Lionel Messi wants the player out immediately and believes the club must go for either of Lautaro Martinez or Neymar. The Argentina international is anyway deciding to leave Barcelona, but if the club has any faint hopes of keeping hold of its greatest player ever then that may well be by bringing the players he wants.

Honestly speaking, the Catalans are in a very bad financial situation and affording either of their two South American targets is an unlikely prospect given the fact that both players will cost in excess of 100 million euros. However, if the aged players and those unwanted at the club are sold, there is a faint chance of a grand signing or two.

What do you think happens with regard to Coutinho’s future at Barcelona?