Philippe Coutinho BarcelonaGetty Images

Barcelona spokesman confirms Bayern Munich interest in Coutinho

Bayern Munich remain interested in acquiring Philippe Coutinho in the current transfer window but no deal has yet been struck with Barcelona, a spokesman for the Catalans explained on Tuesday. 

Coutinho came to Camp Nou in January 2018 with the reputation as one of the world's premier playmakers following his excellent spell at Liverpool. 

But the Brazilian has struggled to reproduce that form at Camp Nou, and was used as a bit-part player for most of the 2018-19 campaign as Barca took the Liga title and missed out on the Champions League thanks to a semi-final defeat at the hands of Coutinho's former club. 

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Coutinho, who this summer was key in his nation's victorious Copa America campaign, was subsequently declared transferable in the current window, with several clubs already linked to his services. 

Among those are Bayern, who could swoop for the South American star after declining to take up their purchase option on Real Madrid's James Rodriguez following a two-year loan spell. 

"There is interest from FC Bayern, but there is no agreement. That is all there is to say at the moment," the Barca spokesman told Goal and Spox when consulted over reports linking Coutinho to Bavaria. 

The Bundesliga champions, however, are by no means the only club targeted by those in charge at Camp Nou as they look to cut their losses on Coutinho. 

Paris Saint-Germain too are in the running, with Barca preparing a blockbuster deal that would see the Brazilian move to Parc des Princes this summer. 

Club sources previously confirmed to Goal that Coutinho had been included in the offer prepared to take his compatriot Neymar back to Catalunya

As well as the playmaker, PSG would be set to receive roughly €100 million (£93m/$104m) in fees for their wantaway forward. 

Eric Abidal led a delegation of Barca representatives in travelling to the French capital, where they plan to meet with their PSG counterparts and smooth over relations following an acrimonious summer spat revolving around Neymar and his future. 

Earlier this August Coutinho had also been linked with Tottenham, who went as far as to file their own official bid for the midfielder's services towards the end of the transfer window. 

A proposed loan deal that would have seen Spurs pay out between €20 million (£18m/$22m) and €30m (£28m/$34m) did not prosper due to the player's reluctance to move to north London, while other potential suitors such as Liverpool and Arsenal failed to follow through with a formal approach.

"We do not know what will happen, but Philippe is a player who is with us," Barca coach Ernesto Valverde told a news conference last Wednesday after Barca's 2-1 friendly win over Napoli.

"He has not played but the plan we have with him is the same. We'll see if he plays a few minutes on Saturday.

"But he is a player who is with us and we have him, of course. He is with us and we think he will continue with us."

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