'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
A busy summer ahead is anticipated at Barcelona, as many exits as well as arrivals are expected and one name which has been linked with a departure in the summer is that of Philippe Coutinho, with reports emanating that the club is willing to listen to offers for the midfielder.
The Brazilian international had arrived Barcelona amidst much fanfare in January 2018, but just a little over a year later, the partnership has gone awry, with fans of the Blaugrana turning against their player and booing him on occasion.
With speculated interest from PSG and Manchester United, rumours are rife that Coutinho could be on his way out of Nou Camp this summer.
However, despite his struggles, it would be in Barcelona's best interests to resist the temptation of selling their number 7. In this piece, we shall be having a rundown of three reasons why Barcelona should not sell Philippe Coutinho.
#3 There are not many better options than him in the world
For five years at Liverpool, Philippe Coutinho dazzled and showcased his abilities, rising to become one of the best players in the Premier League.
His record of 41 goals and 35 assists from 152 appearances in the Premier League speaks volumes of his abilities, while he was also nominated for the PFA Player of the Year award and voted into the PFA Team of the year in 2915.
It is for these displays that Barcelona shelled out such a huge amount to get him and while it might not have worked out to plan so far, on his day, the 26-year-old remains among the best players in his position in the world.
Selling him would put Barcelona in the position of having to replace the ex-Liverpool man and a thorough glance at the available options shows that there are not many better options than him in the market and as such, Barcelona would be best served to retain him in their ranks.
#2 There is a chance that he could still come good
While it might be tempting to dismiss Coutinho as a Barcelona flop and classify his spell at the Nou Camp as a disappointment, it is pertinent to note that he has only been in Catalunya for just 18 months.
In the eyes of many, this is more than enough time to have laid a mark in the side, but it must be remembered that not every player makes an instant impact upon arriving a club.
There have been numerous instances in the past of players initially struggling at new clubs and being on the verge of being tagged flops only to rediscover their form and end up having legendary careers at said clubs, with David de Gea's story at Manchester United being the best example of this and this could well turn out to be the case for Coutinho.
The Barcelona hierarchy should give the Brazilian international at least one more season to come good and given his talents and abilities, Coutinho is more than capable of turning his fortunes around which would make the last 12 months nothing but distant memories.
#1 They would likely incur a financial loss if they sell him
When Barcelona shelled out the sum of €140m to sign Philippe Coutinho from Liverpool, they believed they were making a long-term investment for Andres Iniesta's successor, with it expected that the Rio de Janeiro native would hold it down in midfield for at least the next five years.
As it happened, those expectations have not been met (at least not yet), and the Barcelona board are said to have lost patience with Coutinho and are willing to listen to offers for him with PSG and Manchester United said to be interested.
Reports suggest that the club has set an €80m valuation of the player, and if sanctioned, it would represent bad business on the part of Barcelona.
Selling him for that amount would represent a €60m loss on a player still very much in his prime just 18 months after expending a club record fee to sign him and this surely makes for bad business.
