Early in 2018, Barcelona splashed the cash and acquired one of the most dominating players of the Premier League at that time. Philippe Coutinho packed his bags and left Liverpool for €120 million plus€40m in add-ons, making himthe most expensive signing in the Culeshistory.
Needless to say, the Brazilian star hasn’tlived up to expectations at all so far. When he set foot at the Camp Nou, everyoneexpectedto see glimpses of the magic he showed in England. But Coutinho never came close to the figurehe was at Anfield.
Flash-forward to the beginning of the 2021-2022 season,Barcelona are still wondering what went wrong with him. He was seen as Neymar‘s replacement and was undoubtedly a massivesigning at that moment. But so far, Coutinho did little to pay back the millions spent on him. What’s worse, the Catalans may have to pay another €20 million to Liverpool this season.
The clause in Coutinho’s contract that would cost another €20 million to Barca
It’s no secret that Coutinho’s stint atBarcelona has not been going as expected. Instead of helping themtaste Champions League glory again, he spent most of the time off the field and was even sent on loan to Bayern Munich – where he didn’t do much but punishBarca twice in the infamous8-2 UCL quarterfinal clash.
This season, however, Barcelona could be forced to comply with another clause in his contract. According to Sport, ifPhilippe Coutinho makes 100 apperances with the Blaugrana, they would have to pay an extra €20 million to Liverpool.
The Brazilian is only ten games shy of reaching that milestone, as he played for Barca on 90 occasions so far. When the Cules acquired Coutinho, nobody could have imagined thiswould have taken so long.
Philippe Coutinho during his presentation as Barcelona’s new signing in January 2018. (Getty)
But he struggled to impress from the very beginning. He failed to shine in his first 22 appearances duringthe second half of 2017/18 and things wouldn’t improve soon. Despite his number of games increased to 54 the following season, Coutinho’s form went downhill and was loaned to the Bundesliga giants.
Last season, Ronald Koeman believed he could bounce back. Sadly, Coutinho’s constant injuries prevented him from proving his worth and a major meniscus setback in December ruled him out for the remainder of the season.
He was linked with a move away from Barca this summer but he ultimately stayed. Will he finally pay Koeman’s confidence back on the field and become the superstar he once was? It remains to be seen, but what we know is that by playing only ten more games, Barcelona will suffer his expensive arrival’s impact again.
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