Philippe Coutinho must do more to prove himself if he wants to seal a permanent switch to Bayern Munich, according to the club's CEO.
The Brazilian playmaker is on loan in Germany from Barcelona until the end of the season, with the deal giving Bayern an option to buy.
Coutinho has been a regular in the side this season, scoring seven times and providing eight assists in 28 appearances.
But Bayern chief Karl-Heinze Rummenigge feels Coutinho is yet to do enough to ensure he will still be at the Allianz Arena next season.
"Why is it [the transfer] not decisive? This is a difficult question," Rummenigge told Sport Bild. "I think he played well in some games while in others he gave the impression of being a little inhibited.
"I don't know why. The fact is that we all believe he is an exceptional footballer, we see him in training and sometimes during competitions.
"Everyone tries to help him, the coach, his teammates. Now we have to hope that in the crucial weeks starting now, he will become an important factor in helping us win titles."
Rummenigge's comments will come as a blow to Coutinho, who was hopeful of securing a permanent contract.
He said back in November: "I feel good here. If everything goes well, I really would like to stay."
As it stands Coutinho is likely to return to the Nou Camp at the end of the season, where he failed to kick start his Barcelona career.
Indeed Barca could be reliant on the funds from any potential sale of Coutinho to spend on their own transfer targets, which could leave the player in limbo.
A move back to former club Liverpool seems unlikely, though PSG could reignite their interest in the 27-year-old.
Coutinho could possibly be used as a makeweight in a deal which would finally see PSG's Neymar complete his expected transfer back to Barcelona.
