5 reasons why Barcelona want Philippe Coutinho in January instead of the summer

What is it with FC Barcelona and transfer sagas? Almost every time the La Liga club target a high-profile player - especially from the Premier League - it ends up becoming a soap opera of sorts until the deal is finally complete. And in some cases, it takes more than a season to get the player's signature on the dotted line.

It started with Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas who was courted by literally everybody at the Catalan club. Then came Liverpool striker Luis Suarez. And now, it is the Reds involved again with Philippe Coutinho constantly linked with a move to the Camp Nou.

However, this is a transfer that could take place in January itself instead of the summer. Here's why.

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#1 Barcelona want to consolidate La Liga

Barcelona have a nine-point lead in La Liga

Let's start with the basics: Barcelona are top of the league with a nine-point lead. While that may be enough to write the others off as also-rans in a league such as La Liga, they have technically not yet reached the halfway point of the season.

The league season is only 17 games old (young?). Barcelona may be the only undefeated team but all it takes is an injury to one of their attacking stars to undo everything they have accomplished so far.

Which is why Coutinho's arrival would help them maintain that lead and possibly extend it. The club desperately need a goalscoring midfielder and Coutinho has scored 12 goals so far this season, not to mention grabbing 8 assists as well.

With plenty of matches coming up once the Copa del Rey and Champions League schedules clash, Barcelona will need all hands on deck to win back their league crown.

#2 Coutinho's price will go up after the World Cup

Brazil are one of the favourites for the 2018 World Cup

This is one of the primary reasons why Barcelona do not want to delay a deal any further. They already had three bids rejected last summer - the highest of which was £115m - and that price has already increased in the past four months alone!

As mentioned earlier, Coutinho's 12 goals and 8 assists have seen Liverpool compete for a top four spot while it has also carried them into the knockout stages of the Champions League. The Reds topped their group in Europe and a lot of it was down to Coutinho's 5 goals and 2 assists in four starts.

This kind of form makes him an automatic starter in Brazil's squad when they travel to Russia for the 2018 World Cup. Having earned 18 caps for Brazil in the past couple of years, he also has 7 goals for the Selecao.

"I don't know which club he's going to. He'll decide it. But the Brazilian squad won't lose him." - Tite

Brazil are expected to qualify for the knockout stages after they were drawn in a group alongside Switzerland, Costa Rica, and Serbia. They are also one of the favourites after becoming the first team to qualify for the World Cup.

They easily topped the table in the South American (CONMEBOL) qualifiers where the Brazilian playmaker scored 4 goals. Expect him to put in some memorable performances that will only see his market value increase - which is exactly what Barcelona want to avoid.

#3 Coutinho's arrival will keep Iniesta fresh for Champions League

Nearing 34, Andres Iniesta can no longer play 90 minutes

The only issue for an otherwise ideal transfer for Barcelona is that Coutinho will be cup-tied for the Champions League having already played for Liverpool in the competition. However, this is a factor that does not seem to worry the Brazilian who is desperate to make the move.

The 24-year-old is being mooted as the heir to Andres Iniesta at the Camp Nou and, while he has a long way to fill in those shoes, the idea is that he will take over the role with Iniesta turning 34 in May.

The veteran Spaniard is clearly on the decline and cannot sustain himself over 90 minutes anymore. The only time he has lasted a full game this season was back in October when he scored in Barcelona's 2-0 win over Malaga who are at the bottom of the table.

Iniesta is normally withdrawn around the hour-mark but that is not the case in the Champions League where he averages 80 minutes. Ernesto Valverde clearly relishes the midfielder's control of the game in the continental competition and keeps him on for longer in Europe.

With Coutinho's arrival, that gives Valverde the opportunity to rest Iniesta before a big Champions League encounter so he can play at his optimum level - especially after old rivals Chelsea were drawn with Barca in the Round of 16.

#4 Ideal adaptation period for Coutinho

Coutinho will have half-season head start to adapt to La Liga and Barcelona

Make no mistake; no matter how good a player is, a move to Barcelona is not as easy as it looks and immediate success is not guaranteed. Even top players have taken their time to settle down - Coutinho's compatriot Neymar is a perfect example.

Liverpool and Barcelona also employ tactics that are not exactly similar. Of course, both teams do press their opponents to win the ball back but that is about where their similarities end.

Under Ernesto Valverde, Barcelona have returned to a possession-based game compared to Luis Enrique's approach while Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool are more than happy to play on the counter-attack with their Fab Four.

Should Coutinho join the club, he will have to adapt to not only La Liga (where his technical brilliance would see him thrive) but also to Valverde's 4-4-2 formation where the wide midfielders play narrower than usual.

Whether Valverde plans to play him as a central playmaker is another question that needs to be answered. It is a role Tite wanted to experiment with.

"If you have Coutinho in perfect condition, 100 per cent fit, we could try and play him through the middle. But we played with him as a winger because right now, Coutinho is playing there for Liverpool." - Tite

The healthy lead and these five months will give Valverde the opportunity to play him in different roles to figure out his best position (and possibly the ideal formation for Barcelona) so they can start 2018/19 on a positive note rather than wait for Coutinho to come good next season.

#5 Barcelona want to prove they are still top dogs in the market

Bartomeu wants to make another marquee signing like Ousmane Dembele

This transfer is also about damage control for Barcelona - off the pitch, of course. Club president Josep Maria Bartomeu has been on the receiving end of criticism from Barcelona fans following what was a relatively dismal summer.

The Catalan club had lost their future star Neymar to PSG for €222m and had also failed to land Coutinho in August prior to the season. Although some of the blows have been softened by the team's performances and Lionel Messi's contract extension, the president is no longer a popular man.

Which is why he is trying to everything he can to show the fans that he is still in control of what happens at the club. And a marquee signing like Coutinho would only strengthen his position at the club despite the turmoil that surrounds his presidency.

Ernesto Valverde, on the other hand, is not too concerned about whether Barcelona sign Coutinho or not.

"We will see if he comes or not. He is a great player. We respect Liverpool and we respect the player. We don't know what will happen in the future but I like the players I have now in the squad." - Valverde

Moreover, Barcelona were stung by the Neymar transfer. It proved that they no longer had a say in big transfers and were no longer top dogs in the market.

The signing of Coutinho will also be a statement of intent that says Barcelona will be bullied no longer by other clubs.