Transfer Centre

Philippe Coutinho 'could still have Barcelona future after Setien sacking'

By Ben Knapton, Senior Reporter | 17 August 2020

Barcelona's Philippe Coutinho could stay at Camp Nou provided he is given the chance to prove himself under La Blaugrana's new manager, according to a report.

Barcelona attacker Philippe Coutinho could reportedly be handed a new lease of life at Camp Nou following manager Quique Setien's dismissal.

Barca relieved Setien of his duties after the Catalan giants suffered a crushing 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, with Coutinho scoring two and setting up another against his parent club.

The former Liverpool man was sent out on loan to Bayern after failing to make his mark at Camp Nou, leading to widespread speculation that Coutinho would head for the Barcelona exit door this summer.

However, Mundo Deportivo claims that a new manager could be just what Coutinho needs to get his Barcelona career up and running again, with Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman tipped to become Setien's successor in Catalonia.

The report claims that Barca were initially keen to part ways with Coutinho in order to balance the books, and Arsenal, who are thought to be leading the race to sign the attacker, could still look to swoop for Coutinho ahead of the 2020-21 campaign.

The Brazil international is under contract at Barca until 2023, where he has managed to find the back of the net 21 times in 76 matches thus far.