Liverpool’s sale of Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona has been slammed as the “most ruinous business in history” for the Camp Nou club.
The Reds sold the Brazil star to Barca in January 2018, in a deal which made the attacking midfielder the third most expensive player in history at the time.
The transfer negotiated with the La Liga giants – which saw sporting director Michael Edwards secure a clause that prevented Barca from returning for any more players until 2020 – was worth an initial £106m with a further £36m of add-ons.
Liverpool have banked the entire £142m from the deal, but Barcelona still owe £35.5m in both short and long-term payables to a third party financial institution after the Reds sold the debt.
Now, Spanish publication Sport – via SportWitness – have slammed the transfer and suggested Barcelona “don’t appear to even want Coutinho to succeed, preferring to just see the back of the Brazilian”.
The media outlet state that Coutinho is for sale this summer and has been valued at just €40m (£35m).
In an interview back in November, the 28-year-old did not rule out the possibility of playing in England again one day.
“The Premier League is one of the most exciting leagues in the world and to have the chance to play there with a team like Liverpool will always be something I will feel grateful for,” he told World Soccer.
“It is impossible to say what might or might not happen in the future – but what I know is that right now my only focus is on being successful with Barcelona.”
source: Liverpool Echo