Next destination: Newcastle enters €40m transfer race for Barcelona outcast Coutinho

 
Spanish press reports revealed that Barcelona had decided the future of Brazilian star Philippe Coutinho, who is currently loaned to the English club Aston Villa, until the end of the current season.

The Brazilian is currently on loan at Aston Villa, who has the option to buy him outright at the end of the season. Newcastle has entered the race to sign Barcelona outcast Philippe Coutinho.

Coutinho has been on Barca's books for the last four years, having initially completed a big-money move to Camp Nou from Liverpool in January 2018 .The Brazilian has been unable to live up to his €166 million (£142m/$175m) price tag, however, and now finds himself back in the Premier League on loan at Aston Villa.

Coutinho still has a year left on his contract at Barca, but he has already accepted he does not have a future at the club and wants to secure a permanent return to the Premier League.

Villa has the option to buy him outright for €40m (£34m/$42m) this summer but has not yet confirmed whether they will trigger that clause in his loan deal and Newcastle are now waiting in the wings to pounce.

The 29-year-old is eager to stay in England to boost his chances of making Brazil's 2022 World Cup squad, but Newcastle is aware that Villa still has the first refusal on the player at this moment in time.

With Aston Villa, who was loaned to him last January, Coutinho played 15 matches in the English Premier League, scoring 4 goals and providing 3 assists.