Manchester United's Premier League rivals Liverpool could miss out on a hefty payment should Philippe Coutinho decide to join the Red Devils from Barcelona. The Old Trafford outfit has been linked with a summer move for the attacking midfielder who joined the Blaugrana for a staggering £142 million back in January 2018.
Upon moving to Spain, the 26-year-old has so far failed to live up to expectations at Camp Nou and is currently playing second fiddle to the likes of Lionel Messi, Ousmane Dembele, Arthur, among others in his side's starting lineup. With Ajax youngster Frenkie De Jong arriving this summer, the odds of the ex-Liverpool star parting ways with the Catalan club has increased exponentially.
While Barcelona could get back some part of the amount it invested in Coutinho, Liverpool is on the verge of becoming the biggest loser should a deal be brokered with another club. According to UK tabloid Mirror, the Reds could miss out on a payment of at least £8.8 million (potentially 13.2m) which will normally come in the form of add-on fees should the Brazilian see out his current contract.
Barcelona reportedly pays £4.2 million to Liverpool for every 25 La Liga appearances Coutinho makes. Should the midfielder leave in the summer, the Reds will miss out on £8.8 million in these bonuses. An additional £4.2 million could be lost if he doesn't play seven more La Liga games this season which will take his appearance tally to 50.
On a positive note, Liverpool looks set to cash in £4.4 million should Barcelona qualify for next season's Champions League. That is almost guaranteed with the Catalans momentarily sitting atop of the league table.
In the case where Barcelona wins the Champions League this season, a further £4.4 million will be paid to the Anfield outfit. As per MEN, the clause only applies to the ongoing season and cannot be replicated next season should Barca fail.
