According to Sport, Carlo Ancelotti ‘wants’ Philippe Coutinho ‘on loan with a mandatory purchase option’. With Gylfi Sigurdsson linked with an exit this summer, Everton are ‘willing to accept the conditions’ from Barcelona to bring Coutinho to Goodison Park as his potential replacement.
The 27-year-old has made 76 appearances in all competitions for Barca, scoring 21 goals and making 11 assists. Coutinho has spent the season on loan at Bayern Munich, contributing a total of 17 goals and assists in 32 outings.
90 Min believe Everton have been handed a chance to sign him for £100m, but Sport say the Catalans have three slightly different options on the table – a transfer for €90m (£78.68m), extending his stay at Bayern or a loan with a buying option.
Everton’s transfer record is £45m, so it’s unlikely they’d smash that record by £30m for Coutinho’s sake. The Toffees are therefore left with the option to loan Coutinho and agree a fee for a permanent deal next summer, as Bayern don’t want the Brazilian international for another season.
Vital Everton have stated that signing Coutinho may be a problem due to his history with Liverpool. The 27-year-old, who Sky Sports say is recovering from ankle surgery, made 201 appearances in all competitions for the Reds between 2013 and 2018. It’s hard to see him joining their fierce rivals.