Barcelona midfielder Philippe Coutinho is drawing strong interest from England, with Aston Villa, Everton and Liverpool interested, GOAL can confirm.
Coutinho would rather move back to England than head to his home of Brazil, and while no formal offer has been made, it seems direct conversations are ahead.
The Blaugrana, meanwhile, are eager to offload the player to clear wages as they try to register Ferran Torres and set up other moves.
Why would Coutinho leave Barcelona?
The 29-year-old is starved for playing time having started just 13 matches over the past two league campaigns, while his club is ready to move on to other attacking midfield options as it clears salary from its books.
England would provide a familiar home and the chance to resurrect his career.
A move back to Brazil is not viable at this moment because of Coutinho's football objectives and wage demands.
The bigger picture
Aston Villa, Everton and Liverpool would all provide storyline destinations for the player.
Former team-mate Steven Gerrard coaches at Villa, while a return to Merseyside would be emotional for all involved.
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