Coutinho agrees to wage cut to remain at Bayern

Brazilian star, Philippe Coutinho will agree to have his wages slashed in half in order to stay at Bayern Munich until the end of the season, according to multiple reports in European media.

Coutinho’s loan deal was set to expire at the end of June, as he had originally agreed a season-long switch. However, Bayern’s participation in the UEFA Champions League and DFB Pokal means that the Bavarians’ campaign will now potentially not conclude until the end of August.

The elongation of the season is the result of both competitions’ fixtures being rearranged as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Spanish publication, Marca is now reporting that Coutinho – who earns more than £200,000 a week – agreed to take a 50 per cent pay cut to stay at the Allianz Arena until the campaign is completed.

The Barcelona man’s fellow loanees Alvaro Odriozola (on loan from Real Madrid) and Inter Milan winger Ivan Perisic have offered to do the same, reports suggest.

Bayern do have the option of signing Coutinho permanently for €120 million (£108 m) at the end of the season. But they are unlikely to do so, with Leroy Sane set to join from Manchester City.

Barcelona will still look to sell the 28-year-old in the upcoming window in order to bring money into the club. Both Inter and PSG have been mooted as potential destinations but Coutinho is thought to have little interest in moving there, with reports suggesting his preference is a return to the Premier League – where he starred for Liverpool.