PSG Reportedly Eye Liverpool Star Philippe Coutinho as Primary Summer Target

Liverpool midfielder Philippe Coutinho is reportedly at the top of Paris Saint-Germain's shopping list ahead of next summer, with the French club hoping to revive one of 2017's biggest transfer sagas. 

Barcelona were the club most closely associated with a move for Coutinho over the summer months, but PSG ran a close second, and French journalist Julien Maynard has said he'll be their priority at the end of this season (h/t Daily Mirror).

James Benson of the Daily Express provided a translation of Maynard's tweet, which read: "Philippe Coutinho is the priority of Paris Saint-Germain for next summer. Thiago Silva has tried to convince his team-mate in the Selecao [Brazil national team] to join Paris, but the Liverpool player is more attracted to Barcelona. And PSG will have to sell first."

French programme Telefoot (h/t Paul Gorst of the Liverpool Echo) recently reported on PSG centre-back Silva and his comments pleading for Coutinho to join him and their other Brazilian compatriots in Paris, as shown by Anfield HQ:

Fewer than three months have passed since Liverpool made it out of the summer transfer window with their playmaker still among manager Jurgen Klopp's ranks, and already the exit warning signs are looming once again.

The South American illustrated his importance to the team in Saturday's 3-0 hammering of Southampton, where even though it was two-goal Mohamed Salah who stole the show, Coutinho still grabbed some of the headlines:

Since failing to get a summer move to Barcelona, despite handing in a transfer request back in August, per BBC Sport, Coutinho has won back the Anfield masses with his displays, as Liverpool writer Joel Rabinowitz recently told:

But a big-money move for Coutinho could be difficult to envision given PSG's current predicament. News Wires (h/t France24) reported in September that the club were under investigation by UEFA on suspicion of breaching Financial Fair Play regulations.

That came after the Qatari-financed club splashed a combined £366 million to capture Neymar and Kylian Mbappe—the latter is on loan from AS Monaco and will join permanently for £166 million next summer.

It was reported January sales will be made in order to counteract any suspicion of foul play in the transfer market, but major planning will be needed to land Coutinho, who would most likely again cost nine figures.

For that reason, Barcelona may be in a better position to revive their own interest in Coutinho, and former Liverpool midfielder Jason McAteer said after the summer window that he feels the move is already sealed, via Goal:

There's no doubting PSG's clout in the transfer window and the pull their Brazilian contingent could have, but the economics of completing such a deal look difficult to manoeuvre at present, to say the least.