Bayern Munich secured the signing of Brazillian attacking midfielder Philippe Coutinho from Barcelona on a season-long loan deal which also includes a option to buy.
Barcelona have released the details of the details stating that the German champions will pay 8.5m euros (£7.78m) to take the Brazillian playmaker on loan while the option to buy if Bayern Munich want to secure him permanently next summer will have to part with 120m euros (£109.84m) to secure his signature for the foreseeable future.
It is also understood that Bayern Munich will pay all of Philippe Coutinho’s salary for the duration of the loan spell, and with the Brazilian’s pay package off their books, it could provide Barcelona with the added funds to try and re-sign Coutinho’s superstar international team mate, Neymar from Paris Saint-Germain. Whether that deal occurs or not, Coutinho’s move to the Bundesliga could provide him with the opportunity to get back to his best, and also give Niko Kovac the much needed quality in his attacking weaponary.
It was only a couple months ago that Barcelona declared they were determined to keep Coutinho at the Camp Nou, the Brazilian and his representatives were reassured that Coutinho would not be sold. But with the European transfer window reaching its climax, Coutinho has found his Barcelona dream all but shattered after a disappointing 18 months. The most expensive player in Barcelona’s history has been deemed surplus to requirements and a potential dampner on any potential Neymar return.
‘How your career can change in 18 months’ is a very intriguing storyline if you were write a book on Coutinho’s year-and-a-half nightmare.
Upon his arrival at the Camp Nou from Liverpool for a swashbuckling £146million record fee, the Brazillian was seen as the heir to Andres Iniesta’s throne, a creative enforcer, one that would ultimately release some of the burdens off Lionel Messi and a signing that would drive Barcelona into a new age. That proposed dream or new age has faltered dramatically. While joining Bayern Munich may not be perceived as a step down on any stretch of the imagination, its clearly not the way things were supposed to go for the former Liverpool superstar, who forced his way out of Anfield to fulfil his once in a lifetime dream – a deal that remains the most expensive transfer in English football history.
What is abundantly clear within the Barcelona camp is that they no longer require Coutinho’s services, which is why they have provided Bayern Munich with the incentive to permanently sign the Brazillian next summer with the club as a whole hoping that the Brazilian enjoys a fruitful time in Munich so they can recoup most of the money they paid Liverpool for over 18 months ago. Despite scoring 21 goals in 76 appearances for the La Liga champions, Coutinho has fallen short of expectations and has been linked with a host of top clubs throughout the summer such as Paris Saint-Germain, as part of a potential Neymar deal, Arsenal and Tottenham. It’s remarkable how – despite Coutinho’s brilliance – the Brazillian has become expendable in such a short space of time, a further representation of the difficulties he has endured trying to embed himself into a new culture of football.
Philippe Coutinho was supposed to be the player bringing Barcelona into a new era. It just hasn’t worked out. Now, the Brazillian will be tasked with finding his feet again in an equally as brilliant and talented side in Bayern Munich. The likes of Robert Lewandowski, Thomas Muller, Ivan Perisic, Kingsley Coman and Serge Gnabry will all certainly be purring at the sight of teaming up with Philippe Coutinho. At least now, there won’t be as much of a burden on the shoulders of Coutinho like he has endured in Barcelona. The Brazillian was supposed to be Andreas Iniesta’s ideal replacement and that’s where the major problem was.
Coutinho did not have a specific role at the Camp Nou, and rather the role that was offered to the Brazillian were not the ideal positions that would bring the best out of him. Many thought Coutinho would have fit in perfectly in Barcelona’s midfield triumvirate alongside Sergio Busquets and Ivan Rakitic but it was thought he lacked the defensive discipline to fully adhere to the role and while the left of Barcelona’s destructive front three – a replacement for Neymar – seemed the more plausible role for Coutinho, he never really found any consistency as Valverde felt the need to rotate between him and Ousmane Dembele. The constant chopping and changing just never really helped Coutinho’s confidence. While he is undoubtedly one of the world’s best attacking midfield talents, Coutinho is also a shy and reserved character but at the same time needs an arm round the shoulder for him to thrive, though, that all seemed impossible at a club that can be so brutal and unforgiving, especially within the clubs fan base.
It was in his unveiling at Bayern Munich that he revealed his best position is at “number 10” and rightly so, that has been the area where Coutinho has impressed time and time again, but at Barcelona, those aren’t the parameters that the club has traditionally been built on, if there is ever a “number 10” then its in the nature of Lionel Messi and Messi alone. Whether its a 4-3-3 or even a 4-4-2 – a system Valverde has heavily relied on since his appointment – it is within that setup that Messi is automatically the given the license to roam and no one else, and that’s not how Coutinho operates. The Brazillian is a lone wolf in the creative department and maybe, just maybe at Bayern, he will be allowed and given the freedom to become the teams main creative force.
Bayern Munich are in need of a influential and effective no. 10 and with James Rodriguez having returned to Madrid, and Thomas Muller no longer holding the tools and capacity to carry out the role, Philippe Coutinho perfectly fits the bill slotting into the side seamlessly. With the departures of Arjen Robben – who hands his no.10 shirt over to the Brazilian – and Frank Ribery, Bayern Munich desperately needed to improve their options in attack and the signings of Ivan Perisic, Mikael Cuisance and Philippe Coutinho does exactly that. Experience, vigour, creative influence and a huge work ethic; characteristics that all of these players harbour in abundance.
One of the major reasons for Coutinho’s success at Liverpool was that he was the main link between midfield and the front three, picking up positions within a fluid formation that allowed Coutinho the creative freedom and the ability to drive the team up the pitch from relentless pressing and counter-attacking moves. Deployed as a no. 8, no. 10, and often as an inverted winger capable of moving infield and causing havoc in between the lines like a regular no.10. This tactic allowed Coutinho to become a hugely effective outlet along with Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane constantly leaving the opposition defence in a state of flux. This maybe the best way Niko Kovac can fully utilise the Brazillian playmaker’s creative influence at the Allianz Arena. Also, Coutinho is very familiar with the “Gegen Press” a style all so loved by Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool akin to Bayern Munich’s own counter pressing philosophy. It’s Coutinho’s amazing dribbling abilities that would provide Kovac’s fluid system to thrive both in the attacking third and on the counter-attack.
We saw it time and time again in England, the way the Brazillian so effortlessly dances around his marker with his intricate quick-feet and close control like the ball is magnetised to his feet, caressing the ball into a position where he can hit wonderful 30-yard shots or even pick out at team-mate with an audacious pass. That’s what the Brazillian is capable of, providing something out of the ordinary, pieces of play that fans can’t even imagine. At the Camp Nou, fans did see some of that brilliance but not on a regular basis, and whether that’s down to the inconsistencies in Valverde’s personnel or Coutinho’s failure to adapt remains to be seen. Though, Bayern Munich coach Niko Kovac will now be tasked with revitalising Coutinho’s vim and deploying him as the main creative outlet in his possible fluid, free-flowing and dominant 4-2-3-1 setup.
In this attacking formation, there is always room for the three behind the main striker to constantly interchange. The pace, movement and imagination of all of Perisic, Coutinho, Gnabry, and Kingsley Coman could be a devastating sight. With the creativity and imagination of Thiago, Leon Goretzka, new signing Mikael Cuisance and Corentin Tolisso, coach Niko Kovac will have no problems deploying midfielders that can pick out passes within such tight and confined spaces in between the lines. Dominant and powerful midfield players like Leon Goretzka can have a massive effect, a player well versed in the art of a box-to-box type, one that can constantly weave and maraud his way past opponents driving his team into attacking transitions and different phases of play.
Bayern Munich are very much stocked in midfield. Players with an array of attacking and defensive qualities.
Alternatively, Coutinho can also be deployed as a no.8 come no.10 in a 4-3-3 set up.
When out of possession, Coutinho could be found in a regular position along with Tolisso or Thiago but when Bayern have the ball – most of the time – the Brazillian will be the constant link between the midfield and the attacking third with Lewandowski, Gnabry and Perisic/Coman constantly moving and interchanging.
Furthermore, what’s also unique about Coutinho is his set-piece qualities. Bayern Munich now hold a midfielder fully capable in grabbing a goal from direct free-kicks, along with testing keepers from a long way out, a unique trait the whole team missed in their previous outing against Hertha Berlin. Alongside scoring from set-pieces, Coutinho remains a key player in winning free-kicks in the danger zone, thanks to his magnetic ball control, lightning-fast movement and dribbling skills.
The Brazillian may have struggled at Barcelona, and while he will hold himself responsible for some of his struggles and inability to adapt himself to La Liga, you could argue that the Spanish giants didn’t really fully plan for his arrival, therefore, not allowing him the time and space needed to properly find his feet and enjoy a consistent run in the starting XI. However, there is no doubt about it, Philippe Coutinho holds all the tools and ingredients needed to become an instant hit in Bavaria, joining a club where he will almost certainly be allowed the patience to fully embed himself in the team. The hugely professional atmosphere and togetherness within the Bayern Munich camp may just provide Philippe Coutinho with the much needed impetus to be a success in Germany, even if it short-term.
The signing of Coutinho may just be the icing on the cake for Niko Kovac and his team, the Bundesliga title race between Bayern and Borussia Dortmund is sure to be even better than last years enthralling spectacle. Hold on to your seats, this years Bundesliga journey may be a very bumpy and unforgettable ride.
anthonyscouts.co.uk 