The summer transfer window is closed in England, but remains open in the rest of the big European leagues. While Neymar has hogged most of the headlines, another case- that of his compatriot Philippe Coutinho, has also been the subject of massive speculation. The Brazilian swapped Anfield for the Nou Camp in a mega money deal back in January 2018. However the deal probably hasn’t worked out as well as he might have liked- the Reds moved forward since his exit, acquiring the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Alisson and winning the Champions League as well, while Coutinho’s career has stalled, and his stock, frankly speaking, has plummeted.
Since swapping the Premier League for La Liga, Coutinho has managed to score 21 times in 76 games, setting up 11 goals for teammates in the process. So, you could say he’s produced, but it’s not been enough in the eyes of Barcelona chiefs- certainly not what they expected from a player they splashed 142 million pounds on.
So it wasn’t surprising that Coutinho was linked with various clubs in the summer window. It is definitely a move that several pundits and online betting experts in the UK such as bettingonline.co.uk had tipped for a long while- an exit was imminent, but the question was where. There was talk of a potential return to England, and another option being touted was to move to PSG as Barca sought to bring back Neymar, but neither of these deals worked out. Coutinho, 27, has eventually joined German giants Bayern Munich on loan until the end of the season, with a hefty loan fee attached, while Niko Kovac’s men also have the option to buy him permanently as well.
With a loan fee of €8.5m and Bayern paying his wages, and an option for the German champions to purchase at the end of the loan for €120m, it’s perhaps a win-win deal for both parties. On his move Coutinho said, “In Barcelona a lot of things did not turn out as we had imagined.” He went on to add, “But this is history now. I hope to stay here a long time and win many titles.”
Bayern were pleased with their acquisition, with chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge saying, “We have been working with Philippe Coutinho for some time and are very happy that we were able to realise this transfer now.” He also had words of thanks for Barcelona, “Our thanks to FC Barcelona for agreeing to this transfer. In Philippe, a player comes to FC Bayern who will strengthen our offense with his creativity and excellent technique.”
Another player who is making a big money switch is PSV star Hirving Lozano. The Mexico international made his way to Italy on Tuesday to wrap up a deal which will see him join Napoli for a reported €40m. While interest has been high in Lozano from multiple clubs for a while, PSV’s shock early exit from the Champions League has hastened his exit.
The 24-year-old winger has set the Eredivisie alight since arriving from Pachuca. He’s managed to score an impressive 40 goals in just 79 games, which is an impressive feat for a winger. Lozano has also chipped in with 23 assists in that time too, so his unselfish play should suit him well at Napoli.
Both Coutinho and Lozano will be aiming to be successes at their new club, with the former looking to secure a permanent move to the Bundesliga giants, while Lozano will be out to prove his worth in one of Europe’s biggest leagues. It will be interesting to see how both fair now that the pressure is on.
For Coutinho, success at Bayern will go a great way in repairing his reputation- they’re still one of Europe’s biggest clubs, and well placed for a tilt at CL glory. And there’s plenty of competition- Coman, Gnabry, Muller and Goretzka to name a few- so it’s not as if he walks into the Bayern XI without proving his worth. That makes it a good challenge for the Brazilian.