Barcelona flop Philippe Coutinho is edging closer towards a blockbuster Premier League return as Everton closing in on a deal with Barca.
Coutinho has earned a reputation as one of the finest playmakers in Europe’s top-five divisions during his illustrious five-year stint in the Premier League.
Brazil international was an omnipresent figure for Liverpool since joining the club from Inter Milan in 2013 in a deal worth £8.5million.
Only a handful of players were comparable to the 28-year-old’s brilliance during his time at Anfield, with Coutinho clocking up 54 goals and 34 assists for the Reds.
After establishing himself as a household name in world football, the Brazilian forward left England to team up with Barcelona in January 2018.
Following a long-lasting transfer saga that pretty much played out in public, the Catalans forced Coutinho’s arrival by tabling a stratospheric £142m bid, Liverpool couldn’t reject.
Little did they know the ex-Vasco da Gama will turn out to be one of the worst investments they’ve made in the club’s history.
Fast forward three years, Coutinho is a bit-part player under Ronald Koeman at Camp Nou and represents a massive wage burden Barcelona are looking to get rid of.
According to Spanish publication Sport, the Spanish giants are on the verge of reaching an agreement with Everton over their outcast’s move to England.
Carlo Ancelotti has reportedly earmarked €40m to bring Coutinho to Goodison Park, pretty much mirroring James Rodriguez’s transfer from Real Madrid last summer.
The Catalans appear to have reconciled with the fact they won’t be able to recoup the money they paid Liverpool three years ago.
However, they would lose even more if they fail to offload their misfit this summer, considering his contract expires in 2023.