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Barcelona reportedly want to keep Antoine Griezmann and Philippe Coutinho at the club despite reports suggesting otherwise.
Both Coutinho and Griezmann have been linked with exits this summer as Barcelona want to trim their wage bill in an attempt to re-sign Lionel Messi. Griezmann is currently the highest earner at the club and has been linked with a return to Atletico Madrid in a swap deal that could see Saul Niguez move to the Camp Nou.
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Coutinho, on the other hand, has had a torrid spell at Barcelona. He suffered a season-ending injury in December last year and is yet to show his true potential since arriving at the Camp Nou.
The Brazilian has been linked with a return to the Premier League, with Arsenal and Leicester City being touted as potential destinations.
Ronald Koeman wants the duo to remain at Barcelona
The Blaugrana will need a deep squad to challenge for major trophies next season. As per Mundo Deportivo, Ronald Koeman is keen to retain both Griezmann and Coutinho’s services.
Griezmann had his best season with Barcelona under the Dutchman last campaign as he did well in a false nine role. The Frenchman finished the 2020-21 season with 20 goals and provided 13 assists across all competitions for Barcelona, helping them to the Copa Del Rey title.
Coutinho, however, was able to make just 14 appearances across all competitions before picking up his season-ending injury in December. The Brazilian started eight times under Koeman last season and was starting to gather a bit of momentum before his unfortunate injury.
Barcelona have signed Memphis Depay and Sergio Aguero this summer to add more depth to their attack. Resultantly, there have been reports that they could sell some of their high earners to balance the books. It remains to be seen how the situation will play out in the coming weeks as the transfer deadline day draws closer with each passing day.
Griezmann played a part for the Blaugrana in their most recent pre-season game, a 3-0 victory over VfB Stuttgart. He is also expected to feature in their opening game of the 2021-22 La Liga season.
