Former Arsenal and Chelsea transfer target Phillipe Coutinho is set to be offered another chance to impress with Barcelona under Ronald Koeman, but there is bad news for Liverpool on the matter.
Reports in Spain indicate that the Dutchman is willing to give Coutinho another shot in the first-team following the summer departure of Lionel Messi and with the Catalan giants under financial constraints.
Chelsea have been continuously linked with the Brazilian attacker while the Gunners were apparently offered his services by Barcelona during the summer transfer window, but neither deal gathered any momentum.
Liverpool sold Coutinho for a mammoth fee that had the potential to eventually rise to £140million.
With a series of add-ons included in that deal, rumours surfaced that the Reds were poised to receive another £17 million when he made his 100th appearance for Barca.
However, reports from Spanish outlet InfoGol now indicate that the final instalment of the fee was actually paid upon Coutinho's 90th game, a landmark he reached in December 2020.
The Liverpool Echo reported last summer that £4.4million was still to be paid from the deal but it is likely that the loose ends were tied up when the 29-year-old took to the field for that 90th cap.
Both Chelsea and Arsenal have strengthened their creative sectors this summer. Mikel Arteta has brought Martin Odegaard back to the club on a permanent basis as well as tied Emile Smith Rowe to a new long-term deal.
In west London, Thomas Tuchel has added Saul Niguez to his squad, a move the German will hope will allow Romelu Lukaku to find his feet quickly.
In his time at the Camp Nou, Coutinho has racked up 23 goals and 14 assist but has not had an easy ride.
He dramatically failed to win the adulation of his new fans and was sent out on loan to Bayern Munich for the 2019-20 season, where he did at least win a Champions League.
