3 reasons why Barcelona letting Philippe Coutinho leave for Bayern Munich was a mistake 

After 18 months of intense struggle at the Nou Camp, Philippe Coutinho has departed Barcelona for Bayern Munich on a season-long loan.

The Brazilian international had arrived in Spain from England for a club-record fee in January 2018. But in a surprise turn of events, Coutinho failed to capture the form that saw him become an elite player at Liverpool.

It was soon made evident that Coutinho was no longer wanted at Barcelona. The Rio de Janeiro native suffered the ignominy of being bandied about in the transfer market, and was linked to virtually every available team during the window.

The transfer that eventually transpired will see Coutinho join the Bavarians on a season long loan. They would have the option to buy permanently at the end of the season for €120m, with Barcelona off-setting some part of his humongous wage.

Prima facie, this might look like a good deal for both player and club. But on deeper introspection, it might turn out to be a bad piece of business for Barcelona.

Here, we look at three reasons why Barcelona were wrong to let Coutinho join Bayern Munich.

#1 They are strengthening a continental rival

Bayern Munich would be strengthened by Coutinho's arrival

It is no secret that Barcelona are desperate to win the Champions League again. They are currently on a 'drought' of four years without getting their hands on Europe's holy grail.

The drought has been further exacerbated by the fact that in this time-frame, eternal rivals Real Madrid have achieved near immortality on the continent. And the manner of Barcelona's eliminations have hardly helped matters.

For their part, Bayern Munich have been invincible domestically, but on the continent they too have faltered.

Bayern Munich have struggled to replicate their domestic success in the Champions League

The exits of wing wizards Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben left the perennial Bundesliga champions light of options in attack. But notwithstanding the failure to land their top target Leroy Sane, Coutinho is more than a decent addition to the squad.

With the capture of Coutinho, Niko Kovac's team has been undoubtedly strengthened. They would now fancy their chances of going all the way in the Champions League, at the expense of Barcelona.

#2 Despite his struggles, Coutinho is still a quality player

Coutinho showcased his abilities with Brazil at the 2019 Copa America

Over the last 12 months, Coutinho did not do too much at Barcelona to justify his long pursuit and the huge amount expended to get him.

With Liverpool, the 26-year-old established a reputation of being one of the best attacking midfielders in the world. He wowed everyone with his dribbling and technique, while his long range shooting precision was almost second to none.

However, at Barcelona, the confident Coutinho was replaced by a timid player who was so scared of failing that he almost did not bother to try. The result was that he found himself at the receiving end of Camp Nou boos on multiple occasions.

Nevertheless, it is pertinent to note that Coutinho is an extremely talented player who has proven himself on the biggest stages on multiple occasions. His Barcelona travails do not change the fact that on his day, he can hold it down with the best in the world.

That extremely talented player is still in there somewhere. This much was certainly evident over the summer where, in the colors of Brazil, Coutinho played a starring role to help his nation lift their ninth Copa America title.

A good player doesn't suddenly become bad. And while there is no certainty, there is every possibility that the former Liverpool man would have played his way into being considered a Barcelona legend had he been given a bit more time.

#3 His departure has left Barcelona short on quality options in attack

Ousmane Dembele is an injury prone player

Prior to Coutinho departing for Bayern Munich, Antoine Griezmann had arrived at Camp Nou for the sum of €120m, bringing the total number of recognized forwards in the senior team to six.

But Malcom's sale to Zenit St. Petersburg reduced that number, and Coutinho's subsequent departure leaves Lionel Messi, Griezmann, Luis Suarez and Ousmane Dembele as the only recognized forwards in the current squad.

While the quartet might all be quality players in their own right, nobody is infallible. The grueling nature of professional football means that injuries and rotation would have to come into play at some point or the other during the campaign.

This is evidenced by the fact that of the four, all bar Griezmann are currently facing some fitness concerns. That is a less-than-ideal situation for Barcelona to be in.

Griezmann, Suarez and Messi are widely expected to lead the Blaugrana's frontline this season, leaving Dembele as their only option off the bench. But given the Frenchman's incredible propensity to get injured, the decision to let Coutinho leave seems baffling.