Balague offers update on Coutinho situation amid Liverpool return rumours

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Sky Sports journalist Guillem Balague has offered an update on the situation of Philippe Coutinho.

The Brazilian playmaker has been linked with a move away from the club recently, after struggling to impress for the Catalan giants.

Coutinho has not fitted into Ernesto Valverde’s system as well as was hoped, and some fans have even jeered some of his recent performances.

ESPN recently reported that Barcelona would be willing to cash in on Coutinho if a bid in excess of £90 million is submitted.

But days on from that, Balague has claimed that Barca don’t want to sell, and that a return to former club Liverpool is off the table.

He said via a video on his official YouTube channel: “Liverpool are not interested in bringing him back. Barcelona don’t want to sell! There’s no intention to sell Coutinho. He has to improve, certainly, we haven’t seen his best version.

“But Barcelona don’t have the intention of selling him. That’s what they’re saying.”

TBR’s view

It certainly seems unlikely that Coutinho would return to Anfield in the near future.

Recently the Reds have shown that they could do with him back in their team.

The draws against West Ham United and Leicester City were disappointing, and there was a real lack of creative flair to make the vital breakthrough in those games.

It’s hard to imagine Barca wanting to sell him having chased him so hard and having ultimately paid so much for him.

Balague may or may not be correct, but Liverpool should certianly consider the move if he did become available again this summer.