It appears that Barcelona will do almost anything to offload Philippe Coutinho and lower their wage bill, including letting him return to Liverpool at a cut-price, however, the Reds seemingly have a more viable alternative than the Brazilian.
With the Catalans still unable to sign Lionel Messi to a new contract, getting Coutinho and others off of the books is a priority, but with no players seemingly willing to leave because of the contracts agreed with the previous regime, Barca just don’t have the money to offer Messi.
According to Mundo Deportivo and cited by the Daily Express, a move back to Anfield for Coutinho has been mooted, however, Aston Villa star, Ollie Watkins, represents a better bet.
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Goal.com note Liverpool’s interest in the young star, and he would certainly provide competition for places for the Reds’ front three.
Such a move may be of interest to the player too, as it would obviously enhance his England ambitions.
The only stumbling block may be Jack Grealish’s move to Manchester City as Villa now have no need to sell.