In news that will surely come as a bitter blow to Frank Lampard, it appears that one of his summer targets has decided to stay at his current club and fight for his place.
According to Sport, Barcelona coach, Quique Setien, believes that Philippe Coutinho is one of the best players in the world in his position, and that the Brazilian was utilised in the wrong role during Ernesto Valverde’s tenure.
For his part, Coutinho appears to be prepared to wipe the slate clean and aim to resurrect his career at the Camp Nou, rather than moving back to the Premier League.
The report goes on to state that the Barcelona board have been in direct contact with the player’s representatives to advise that they had been actively looking for a new club for the player, but that current market conditions, due to the coronavirus, make it impossible for the club to achieve the €90m sale price that they desire.
A loan deal is known to not be an option that the Catalans are considering according to Sport, so giving Coutinho further opportunities in the interim, until the market picks back up again, seems the most sensible option for all parties.