Bayern Munich send clear message they are done with Philippe Coutinho
Any hope Philippe Coutinho had of catching on with Bayern Munich is officially over. The German giants have already given his number to Leroy Sane.
Philippe Coutinho might have been under the illusion that he could extend his stay with Bayern Munich with a strong end to the club’s current campaign. The German giants emphatically put an end to the Brazilian’s dream by giving away his No. 10 kit to their new signing, Leroy Sane.
Sane obviously won’t be eligible to play for Bayern until the start of the 2020-21 campaign, but Bayern giving him the No. 10 kit makes their high hopes for him crystal clear. The Bundesliga winners reportedly splashed £49 million to bring Sane back to his native country. Manchester City would have liked to keep the talented attacker, but Pep Guardiola routinely struggled to find room for Sane in his starting XI.
Sane will likely play outside for Bayern, but they still chose to give him the kit generally held for attackers deployed just behind the striker. That’s the role Coutinho was ideally going to fill for Bayern after they brought him in on loan from Barcelona. Injuries and inconsistent form have limited Coutinho to just 23 appearances on the current campaign.
The idea of Bayern making a permanent move for him and giving him a different kit number is far-fetched. As such, it’s exceedingly likely that Coutinho will become Barcelona’s problem once again. It’s possible that a likely managerial change for the La Liga giants could give Coutinho a lifeline back into the first-team at Camp Nou, but the odds strongly favor him needing to find a new club before next season begins.
The most likely destination for Coutinho seems to be a return to the Premier League. Everton, in particular, have been strongly linked with a modestly-priced move for him this summer. The irony of putting him on the other side of the Merseyside Derby would be intense, but Coutinho would have an opportunity to play regularly for the Toffees.
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Bayern won’t concern themselves with Coutinho’s future. He might play a bit-part for them in their remaining Champions League matches this year, but they’re already focused on building a star-studded attack for next season. The signing of Leroy Sane is the final death knell in Philippe Coutinho’s mediocre time with Bayern Munich.