Everton are confident that Barcelona attacking midfielder Philippe Coutinho will join them this summer in a £35 million deal, according to The Sun.
The Toffees are already house-hunting for him, and a deal is thought to have been agreed on paper.
The 28-year-old is looking to return to the Premier League after leaving Liverpool for Barcelona in January 2018 for £145 million.
Coutinho spent last season on loan at Bayern Munich, helping them win the domestic double and the Champions League before returning to Barca in the summer.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp revealed that his side did not have the funds to bring the former Anfield favourite back to Merseyside. He praised the Bundesliga giants for completing the deal for the playmaker he dubbed “world-class”.
Everton want to bolster their squad to mount a stronger top-six challenge next term, and manager Carlo Ancelotti reportedly wants a James Rodriguez-Coutinho midfield partnership.
Having the two South American stars in their team will definitely boost the Toffees’ creativity in the final third, and it will be interesting to see what happens in the coming weeks.
The Brazil international is currently injured and has had surgery that has ruled him out of the campaign.
Everton want to be sure he has recovered fully before committing, but plans are underway to welcome him and his family back to Merseyside.
Barcelona are keen to offload him, even for a cut-price fee, and the Catalans’ current financial struggles appear to have forced their hands.
They are ready to get his hefty wages off their bill, and while his time at Camp Nou has been largely underwhelming, Coutinho hitting the ground running on a return to the Premier League remains a huge possibility.
In other news, Everton are reportedly keen on South Korean forward.
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