Rivaldo: 'Barcelona could still be the right place for Philippe Coutinho'

© Reuters

Former Barcelona attacker Rivaldo has insisted that Philippe Coutinho could still have a future at Camp Nou if he can rediscover his Liverpool form.

Coutinho became the second most expensive player of all time when he swapped Merseyside for Catalonia in 2018, but just 18 months later he was shipped out on loan to Bayern Munich.

The Bavarian giants are not expected to make that loan deal permanent this summer, leading to speculation that the Brazil international could be on his way back to the Premier League, but his compatriot Rivaldo believes that he could still salvage his Barcelona career.

"It looks like Bayern Munich won't pay Philippe Coutinho's option clause at the end of the season and the player is likely to return to Barcelona," Rivaldo told Betfair.

"If the chance comes, Coutinho really needs to step up and show the great player he is, just like he did in England with Liverpool and has done with the Brazilian national team for which he is still an important player.

"I believe in his qualities and think much will depend on his will and mental strength. He must prove that others were wrong to write him off and that he can still make the difference for any team.

"Playing for Barcelona is a unique chance for a player and perhaps Coutinho's experience in the Bundesliga has made him wake up and see that Barca could be the right place for him."

Coutinho has made just 15 Bundesliga starts for Bayern this season, while in all competitions he has directly contributed to 17 goals in 32 appearances.