Big blow for Man Utd, Chelsea as ex-Liverpool ace closes on France move

Oli Fisher
Philippe Coutinho Barcelona

There has been yet another twist in the Philippe Coutinho saga as Paris Saint-Germain are now reportedly leading the chase.

Coutinho’s £142million (€160m) move to Barcelona has not all gone to plan, with just five goals and two assists from 34 appearances in a title-winning side during his debut season.

That form has led to speculation that he could be on his way out of the Camp Nou this summer after only one campaign with Chelsea and Manchester United heavily linked.

And now Spanish publication Sport (via the Daily Mail) has claimed that PSG are the only club that can match the financial obligations of a deal for Coutinho with Barcelona demanding a fee of £98million and the player wanting £10.6million wages.

The 26-year-old – who is now reportedly warming to a transfer to France – has two agents in the form of Kia Joorabchian and Guliano Bertolucci, who both have close connections with the Ligue 1 champions.

The report adds that Coutinho is unwilling to move to Man Utd after they failed to qualify for the Champions League, while Chelsea would be unable to match the wages offered by PSG.

 

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