Liverpool set to be denied £17.2million Philippe Coutinho windfall by Barcelona

Liverpool will miss out on a £17.2million Philippe Coutinho windfall from Barcelona as he nears his 100th appearance for the club, according to Mundo Deportivo.

The former Liverpool maestro’s fortunes have been mixed since switching Anfield for the Nou Camp.

He won the Champions League last season while on loan with Bayern Munich which saw him compound Barcelona’s misery in the quarter-finals of the tournament.

He scored a brace to stick it to his old side and since returning to the club he supported as a child, he has been iced out as the Catalans look to avoid paying Liverpool a further €20million.

Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo report that with Coutinho just 10 appearances away from making his 100th appearance for Barcelona, another clause in his contract will kick in and so plans to loan him out again are being put into place.

For Liverpool, this means they are set to miss out on a £17.2million windfall. Coutinho’s move to Spain is undoubtedly the worst transfer in football history for a whole host of reasons.

As far as the Reds are concerned, it gave them the funds to sign Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker – two players that were instrumental in the club’s sixth Champions League and their first-ever Premier League title.

From a Culé’s perspective, however, it has been an unmitigated disaster.

Liverpool’s plans for the summer transfer window would have been bolstered by an extra £17.2million but with Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez due back at the start of next season, it will feel as though two new world-class defenders have been signed.

If anything, Liverpool need to deepen their squad after an injury-blighted season saw their vulnerabilities exposed for the world to see.

Manchester City are on course to win the Premier League again and their biggest strength has, once again, been their ability to rotate their squad week on week without affecting their quality.