Bayern drop biggest hint they won’t sign Coutinho permanently
Philippe Coutinho’s move to Bayern Munich will almost certainly not be made permanent, with the club reportedly already offering his squad number out to a transfer target.
The Barcelona midfielder has been on loan at Bayern this season but his form hasn’t improved much from his disappointing time with the Catalan giants.
Coutinho will miss the rest of the Bundesliga season through injury and despite the club having an option to sign the 27-year-old permanently at the end of his loan deal it looks unlikely he’ll be at Bayern next season.
That’s especially true now the club have offered his number 10 shirt out already. According to German outlet Bild the club have told Manchester City winger Leroy Sane they can have the number, previously worn by Arjen Robben, if he signs.
Sane is a long term target for the German champions and they attempted to sign him a year ago but were unsuccessful and their desire to sign him cooled with his injury in the Community Shield last August, which put him out of action for seven months.
Bayern are expected to return to try and sign the former Schalke winger in the summer and he reportedly wants to move to the Allianz Arena.
The German international has worn 19 for all of his senior career, at Schalke, City and with the national team, but the chance to ‘replace’ Robben, who retired from football after leaving Bayern at the end of last season, could be extra motivation for his move.
The 24-year-old’s contract at the Etihad expires next summer so Pep Guardiola’s side are likely to sell him this summer rather than lose him for nothing in just over a year’s time.
Coutinho move to Barcelona in January 2018, after a long transfer saga for the former Liverpool midfielder, but things haven’t gone well for the Brazilian at the Nou Camp at all.
The Spanish side were already leading La Liga when he arrived and couldn’t play in the Champions League as he was cup tied, whilst his former team made the final, only to lose to Real Madrid.
Bayern Munich have offered Leroy Sané the #10 shirt, currently worn by Philippe Coutinho, but made iconic by Arjen Robben, according to Sport Bild. #FCBayern #MCFC
— Ronan Murphy (@swearimnotpaul) May 19, 2020
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Last season he made just 22 league starts for the club and only finished eight of those games, scoring five and putting on just two assists before his move to Bayern in the summer.
This season he has fared better with eight goals and six assists in 23 appearances but it doesn’t look enough to secure a permanent move.