Barcelona Reportedly Set to Sell 5 Players to Free Up Philippe Coutinho Funds

Barcelona will reportedly have to sell five players if they're to free up the space needed to add Philippe Coutinho to their hefty wage bill.

MailOnline's Pete Jenson referred to a column by Miguel Rico of Catalan newspaper Mundo Deportivo, who wrote of the major burden Barca's salary budget plays on their finances: "If Barcelona don't bring the wage bill down from the 84 percent mark, they cannot sign Coutinho even if Liverpool let him leave for free."

It's said Arda Turan and Thomas Vermaelen could be among those Blaugrana fringe players cut loose in order to make a move for Reds talisman Coutinho, while Andre Gomes, Aleix Vidal and Paco Alcacer are also said to be surplus to requirements.

Barca engaged in a public approach to sign Coutinho over the summer transfer window, and he recently spoke to ESPN Brazil (via Empire of the Kop) to touch on the ongoing saga:

It was only after former Barcelona forward Neymar moved to Paris Saint-Germain for £200 million that Barcelona's interest in Coutinho really accelerated, but the Reds stood firm over their midfield maestro.

Barca manager Ernesto Valverde was recently quizzed on whether his club would be equipped to make another attempt to sign Coutinho in the new year, to which he responded, per the Liverpool Echo's Joe Rimmer: 

"It is clear that Barcelona are always attentive to improving the team if it is possible. I say that as a club but at the same time, as a manager, I have the idea of getting the best out of the players I have and I do not look too much to other players.

"These players [the one who are already at Barcelona] are the ones who have to pull forward and then, when the [January] transfer window arrives, we will see. There are still two months left and there is time [to think about whether it is necessary to make new signings]."

The New York Times' Tariq Panja also recently stoked the fires of speculation when he posted an image of Coutinho's agent, Kia Joorabchian, who was supposedly meeting with a PSG official (h/t Sports Illustrated):

Barcelona spent big in order to sign Borussia Dortmund winger Ousmane Dembele in a £135.5 million deal after missing out on Coutinho, per BBC Sport, but his impact has been severely limited due to a leg injury.

Former Liverpool midfielder Jason McAteer recently told beIN Sports of his belief Barca's interest in Coutinho is far from over and that a deal has even been put in place already (via Goal):

If reports regarding the Catalan club's teetering wage bill prove genuine, it means they need to sacrifice much of their depth in order to add one specific star to their roster.

Many at the club may agree that's what's needed more right now—quality over quantity—although such a tactic could leave the squad open to being left vulnerable should more key injuries strike.