How Barcelona could line up with Philippe Coutinho

Now that Barcelona have gotten their man, how will Philippe Coutinho be deployed by coach Ernesto Valverde?

Liverpool have reportedly agreed to sell Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona for a $192 million transfer fee — so how will the Brazilian midfielder line up for the Catalan giants this season and down the road?

There are several scenarios for Barca coach Ernesto Valverde to consider over the coming weeks and months. Valverde likes to tinker with his tactics, from using a 4-4-2 to a 4-2-3-1, and the addition of Coutinho should make for some interesting formations as it tries to lock up the La Liga title this season.

Since he can’t play for Barcelona in the Champions League this season since he already appeared for Liverpool in the same competition, Coutinho is expected to pull his weight in league matches. Valverde will rely on him as Barca look the favorites to win the league title come spring.

Now that one of the longest-running transfer sagas in soccer history is finally over, here are three possible deployments we could see this season:

Option 1: Part of the front three

Barcelona signed the 20-year-old Dembele over the summer, only to see him get injured early in the season. With Dembele still getting up to speed following that injury, Coutinho could easily find himself playing a similar role out wide. Dembele played mostly on the right for Dortmund, a role the Brazilian can play.

But it’s most likely Coutinho will be deployed on the left, with Andres Iniesta in the middle and Lionel Messi on the right as part of a 4-2-3-1. Dembele isn’t afraid to beat defenders on the flank and neither is Coutinho. Luis Suarez would continue with his role as sole striker as both Messi and Coutinho would feed him the ball and create space for him in the attacking third.

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Option 2: A short-term replacement for Ivan Rakitic in central midfield

Another possibility is for Valverde to play Coutinho in a central midfield role, like he has for Brazil in recent years and Liverpool this season, in place of Ivan Rakitic. The Croatian typically plays as a central midfielder, a role Coutinho could take over as part of Valverde’s turnover whenever Barca have to play a midweek Champions League match.

Depending on how far Barca get in that tournament, Rakitic could see his playing time in La Liga diminish should Valverde choose to bench him in favor of Coutinho. That would allow the Brazilian to play alongside Sergio Busquets in the middle of the park, a combination that could feed passes to Messi and his teammates.

Option 3: Long-term replacement for Andres Iniesta as playmaker

Iniesta will turn 34 this year and his contract runs out at the end of this season. It remains to be seen whether the Spanish maestro will retire or give it a go for a few more years. Should Iniesta retire or go elsewhere, Barca have the option of inserting Coutinho in that position. Only 25, Coutinho adds youth and talent to the attack.

He would play closer to Messi in this role and essentially serve as a playmaker, a role he has assumed at Liverpool. The English club, meanwhile, will now have to figure out who will replace the Brazilian as they try to finish the Premier League season in the top four.