Why Bayern most likely won’t permanently sign Philippe Coutinho
Bayern Munich have critically signed Philippe Coutinho on loan from FC Barcelona, but don’t expect them to make this transfer permanent upon the conclusion of the Bundesliga campaign.
After Bayern Munich needed a brace from Robert Lewandowski to draw in their 2019-20 season opener against Hertha Berlin (at home, no less), Philippe Couinho’s arrival at the Allianz Arena couldn’t come at a more opportune time. Borussia Dortmund flexed their muscles on Matchday 1 with a 5-1 victory over Augsburg, making it all the more important for Bayern to make a statement of intent.
Coutinho is a magician with the ball at his feet and arguably the most dangerous long distance shooter in world football. He’s everything Bayern needed in the attacking midfield as James Rodriguez’s replacement and is a clear upgrade over the declining Thomas Muller.
However, despite Coutinho’s likely importance to Bayern’s attack and his own world-class ability, fans shouldn’t expect Die Roten to make this loan deal with FC Barcelona permanent.
That’s because, per Sky Sports, the option to purchase Coutinho is set at a cool 120 million euros, which would be an outrageous fee for Bayern. It’s understandable for Barcelona to set that price, because, when combined with the 20 million euro cost of loaning Coutinho, a 120 million option would make a permanent purchase 140 million euros. This is essentially the price Barcelona paid for Coutinho from Liverpool.
The Bavarians, however, typically don’t spend huge money on the transfer market, as defender Lucas Hernandez’s 80 million euro purchase set their record. They were willing to eclipse that for Leroy Sane, but Sane is both younger and better than Coutinho. And even then, Bayern weren’t willing to give into Manchester City’s demands, as they usually like to save their money and go after Bundesliga stars on expiring contracts. (Eyes on Timo Werner and Kai Havertz.)
Next. Coutinho is exactly what Bayern needs. dark
Coutinho is a great player, but he isn’t worth 120 million euros. Bayern wouldn’t even spend one-third of that to make James’ deal permanent, and James had been a quality player for Die Roten, in spite of Niko Kovac’s reservations. So based on all of that, Coutinho will likely return to Barcelona after aiding Die Roten in the Bundesliga title race, barring something crazy.