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Barcelona are in disarray. After a dismal league campaign which saw their arch-rivals Real Madrid lift the La Liga trophy, Barcelona ended the 2019-20 season in horrible fashion, losing 8-2 to Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarterfinal.
With manager Quique Setien all set to be sacked, much planning lies ahead for the club to return to their glory days. One of them revolves around Philippe Coutinho. Barcelona's big-money acquisition, now on loan at Bayern Munich, scored twice against them and also providied an assist in the 8-2 trouncing.
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With Bayern Munich appearing unwilling to sign Philippe Coutinho on a permanent basis, let us have a look at five reasons why the Brazilian needs to be back at Barcelona next season.
Five reasons why Barcelona need to recall Philippe Coutinho from Bayern Munich:
#5: Coutinho has no major fitness issues
Barcelona have had a plethora of injury problems with some of their major stars. Lionel Messi missed the start of last season due to a calf injury while Luis Suarez was ruled out of four months in January due to a knee issue. Ousmane Dembele, on the other hand, has missed more than 80 games since joining the club in 2017.
However, that is not the case with Philippe Coutinho. The Brazil international does not have a clean injury record; he had some trouble during his time at Liverpool. But Coutinho has missed only eight games during his time at Barcelona due to injuries. At Bayern Munich, he has missed nine games, though.
It is, without doubt, better than the likes of Dembele and Samuel Umtiti who have failed to contribute meaningfully to Barcelona for some time now due to various injury troubles.
#4: Barcelona would not recoup their huge investment on Coutinho if they sell him now
Barcelona paid Liverpool €160 million in January 2018 for the services of Philippe Coutinho, making the Brazilian at the time the second-most expensive transfer in the world.
Two and a half years later, it would be fair to say that no club is willing to offer even half of that amount for Coutinho's signature. A poor stint at Barcelona resulted in him leaving for Bayern Munich on loan. Despite the Bavarians having the option to sign him permanently for €120 million, it seems very unlikely that they would do so.
There is no denying that the 28-year-old is a quality player. However, due to the financial instability caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, clubs are wary of spending exorbitant amounts on players, especially those who have not been at their very best for nearly two years now.
Also Read: 10 players with the best minutes to goals ratio in the UEFA Champions League.
#3: Coutinho is capable of playing in multiple positions
Ever since his early days, Coutinho has shown his ability to play in multiple midfield and attacking positions on the field.
While predominantly a playmaker occupying the number ten position, the Brazilian is capable of playing in a more central midfield position as well. He has been utilised by managers on the wings too, with his creativity, speed and technical ability all lauded. Coutinho has also played as a second striker due to his eye for goal and passing ability.
Coutinho's versatility could be very useful for Barcelona. His presence could provide some relief for the likes of Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, while providing good competition to Antoine Griezmann and Dembele.
#2: Coutinho is in the prime of his career
Coutinho is 28 years old, which is generally the age around which outfield players play their very best football.
Barcelona is a squad brimming with a bevvy of ageing stars: Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Ivan Rakitic, Gerard Pique, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, to name a few, are all 30 or above.
The first-team does not have a lot of players in Coutinho's age profile. Apart from Sergi Roberto, the other Barcelona players are either too young or old.
Barcelona need to revamp their squad, and younger blood needs to be integrated into the first-team picture. However, players like Coutinho, who could still function at the top level potentially for the next two or three years, will be an useful asset for Barcelona.
#1: Coutinho's creative prowess from midfield
As highlighted earlier, Coutinho's major asset is his creativity and flair from the number ten position, something that Barcelona lack right now.
Barcelona have functional midfielders in their squad. But Ivan Rakitic, Arturo Vidal and Sergio Busquets are ageing and clearly in decline while Sergi Roberto is clearly not of the requisite quality.
The arrival of Miralem Pjanic will only increase the average age of the squad. Frenkie de Jong is the only midfield player who fits the right profile for Barcelona but creativity is not his forte.
The return of Coutinho will up Barcelona's creativity quotient. Right now the burden of creativity rests heavily on the shoulders of Messi, with Jordi Alba contributing here and there.
The Brazilian's vision and passing from midfield would open up new avenues in Barcelona's attack.
Also Read: 5 defenders who have scored the most goals this season.
