3 reasons why Coutinho should stay in Barcelona

Philippe Coutinho joined Barcelona following a move from Liverpool which cost the club a staggering amount of 120 million euros just over a year ago, and now it seems like the acquisition hasn't gone down too well. The Catalan giants signed the Brazilian in the winter transfer window of 2018 from Liverpool. He fled off to a great start in Barcelona shirt and adapted, instantly making a huge impact but hasn't been able to keep up the same pace.

Coutinho has been self-critical and knows that he is far below his best this season. He has played 41 matches scoring 9 goals alongside 2 assists in all competitions this season, 4 of them coming in the league.

He had proved himself week after week in the Liverpool shirt becoming a peripheral figure for the club, but a recent form dip in Barcelona has seen him become the unwanted villain that the Catalan club needs no more. There has been a rise in transfer speculation ever since with the midfielder being linked to the big clubs across Europe, majorly to the English club Manchester United. Barcelona is understood to be willing to listen to offers for Coutinho, although they want to recoup around £136m in any deal.

Earlier this week Mundo Deportivo reported that Barca wanted to use Manchester United's interest in the Brazilian to help them land Marcus Rashford which has fueled the transfer talk even more.

But not everything is going in vain for the Brazilian, here are 3 reasons why he should consider staying in Barcelona:

#3 Barcelona is the perfect destination for him to achieve his dreams

Coutinho mixes well with Barca's style of play.

Barcelona is arguably one of the best clubs in the history of football and the club has been quite forward and vocal about their Champions League ambition. Coutinho must be well aware of this scenario and might want to get his hands on Europe's greatest silverware at the club level.

The game style of Barca suits the Brazilian pretty well with all the passing and counter attacks, he fits right in the mix with his attacking mentality. He doesn't have to worry about his skills as the whole world is aware of the talent he possesses, instead, what he is lacking is the involvement and understanding of the game, especially when Messi is around. His link-up play has been very poor which is one of the many reasons why he's low on confidence.

#2 A form slump does not have to be the end of things

Coutinho with Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi

Coutinho has been out of touch recently, scoring just once in the league when Barca won the 5-1 match against Real Madrid 19 games ago in Camp Nou. Even though being surrounded by world-class players like Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, the Brazilian is lacking commitment.

Coutinho is just 26 years old and has plenty of time left in his career to test himself at Barca. While Messi, Suarez, Busquets, Alba, and Pique are over 30 and are approaching their retirement age, Coutinho can really see himself becoming the player the club and fans look up to, considering he has all the abilities it takes to.

The fans still back the Brazilian and want him to do better than he has been doing which is a positive sign and shows how badly the club and the supporters want him to do well.

#3 To continue the legacy of Brazilians in Barcelona

Coutinho in Brazil jersey with the ball

From Ronaldo the O Fenomeno to Dani Alves, there have been a large number of Brazilian players who wore the Barca jersey and performed at their highest level winning numerous titles and shaped the mindset of the squad for many years to come. There have been 22 Brazilians to be exact, who've represented Barca or have been a part of the squad. Coutinho being one of them, but it is hard to put him amongst the greats such as Ronaldinho or Rivaldo who gave it all for the club.

His second season at the club has been a bath in cold reality for Coutinho, who arrived convinced he would make history like the Brazilians before him from Romario in 1993 to Neymar.

There has to be daylight in this case for Coutinho and he should really consider the benefits of playing for Barcelona. It is high time that he decides what is good for him and look forward to it.