Barcelona miss out on Coutinho fee despite 50% sell on clause

Barcelona were due up to 50% of profits from Coutinho's sale, but have now missed out on the potential

LaLiga giants Barcelona have missed out on a potential financial windfall from Phillippe Coutinho’s move from Aston Villa to Al Duhail in Qatar. 

Coutinho moves to the Gulf

Barcelona inserted a 50% sell-on clause in the deal that allowed the Brazilian to move to Aston Villa in January 2022, but have missed out on collecting on that clause due to the nature of Coutinho’s move to Al Duhail. 

Coutinho joined Aston Villa from Barcelona after becoming surplus to requirements at the Catalan club, despite joining them just four years earlier for £142 million. 

While his return to England started well, things soon turned sour for Coutinho, who fell down the pecking order when Unai Emery became manager, leading to the Brazilian seeking playing time elsewhere.

Barcelona miss out on Coutinho windfall

The former Liverpool midfielder moved to Qatar this summer, after just 18 months at Aston Villa, but Barcelona will be disappointed that they were unable to receive a payment for the Brazilian’s move. 

The clause in Coutinho’s sale from Barcelona to Aston Villa was due to become active if the Villans sold the Brazilian for more than the €18 million they paid the Catalans for him, but this objective was not achieved with the 31-year-old midfielder’s most recent move. 

Coutinho only joined Al Duhail on loan from Aston Villa, meaning that the clause could not be activated, as Aston Villa did not receive enough to activate the clause. However, they could be in for a payment in future if the Brazilian moves for a significant fee. 

With three years left in his Aston Villa contract, there is still a chance that this could happen. 

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