Marseille are interested in Barcelona midfielder Philippe Coutinho, according to a report by International Business Times.
Coutinho came to Barcelona in January 2018 in a deal believed to be worth up to £142 million – a club-record fee.
He was brought in to replace club legend Andres Iniesta, who was just six months away from his departure.
However, after a bright start, he struggled to maintain his best form and subsequently fell out of favour at Camp Nou.
He spent the 2019/20 campaign out on loan at Bayern Munich and made just 14 appearances last season.
Coutinho’s time at Barcelona may have reached its end, with International Business Times reporting that Marseille are ready to make a move.
The Ligue 1 side will be looking to improve on last season’s showing. They missed out on Champions League football, finishing in fifth place, and exited the Champions League and Coupe de France in the early stages.
Coutinho himself will also be looking to rebuild his reputation after a difficult few years. He missed out on Brazil’s squad for the Copa America, having been a regular starter in the previous three tournaments.
With the World Cup just over a year away, the 29-year-old will be desperate to get himself back in contention for international duty.
The midfielder is one of many players on the chopping block at Barcelona. The Catalan giants currently have a wage bill that far exceeds La Liga’s salary cap.
As a result, they have been unable to register new players.
Star man Lionel Messi remains out of contract, while new arrivals Sergio Aguero, Memphis Depay, Eric Garcia, and Emerson Royal are unavailable for the coming season as things stand.
La Blaugrana have already shifted Junior Firpo, Carles Alena, Jean-Clair Todibo and Konrad de la Fuente, while they are frantically trying to find takers for the likes of Miralem Pjanic and Samuel Umtiti.
Antoine Griezmann could also be on his way out of the club this summer.
Read also: Ballon d’Or 2021 – Can anyone stop Messi from claiming his seventh?
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