Coutinho's agent: "It’s untrue that Griezmann will replace Philippe"
Philippe Coutinho's agent spoke to AS to quash talk that the Barcelona striker's situation would be affected by Antoine Griezmann's touted arrival.
Antoine Greizmann’s announcement on Tuesday that he would leave Atlético Madrid has given rise to endless speculation about where his next destination will be.
His touted move to Barcelona could leave the situation of some of the club’s attacking players up in the air, amongst them Philippe Coutinho, who, in his second season at Camp Nou, has registered just 11 goals in 53 games.
However, speaking to AS, Coutinho’s agent Andrea Bertolucci quashed any doubts about the future of his client in the Catalan capital, saying: “It’s untrue that Griezmann is going to replace Philippe at Barcelona.”
The Brazilian agent did not want to comment any more regarding Coutunho’s future, but insisted the talk of him being replaced by Griezmann was unfeasible.
"I don't know why they are saying that. I don’t know about that and that's why I don't want to talk anymore, but it's false,” he added.
Coutinho’s time at Barcelona
Coutinho arrived in Barcelona in January 2018 following Neymar’s exit a few months prior and was tipped to fill the boots of his compatriot. The ex-Liverpool star become the second most expensive signing in history (160 million euros), behind only Neymar himself, who had moved to PSG for 222 million euros.
But the 26-year-old, who has a termination clause set at 400 million euros, has failed to light up Camp Nou since his arrival, where he has recently been the subject of animosity from some sections of the crowd for his perceived lack of effort and under-performances.