Ronald Koeman has left Miralem Pjanic and Philippe Coutinho out of Barcelona’s tonight La Liga opener against Real Sociedad. The omitted duo find themselves on the fringes at Camp Nou, with both attracting interest from Serie A.
Shorn of their iconic forward Lionel Messi, Barcelona have a point to prove this season following an underwhelming 3rd-place finish in the 2020/21 La Liga campaign. The Catalan powerhouse will launch the new season against Real Sociedad at Camp Nou on Sunday night without Pjanic and Coutinho.
Both players have been mooted for a move away from Catalonia this summer after failing to convince Koeman. Pjanic has drawn attention from his former employers Juventus. Massimiliano Allegri’s return at the helm has prompted rumors about the Turin side’s intent on bringing the Bosnian back to the Allianz Stadium.
Pjanic is reportedly desperate to re-join Juventus in the summer, with Barcelona ready to sanction his two-year loan move to Italy. Despite several obstacles, the 31-year-old could eventually secure a reunion with Allegri on the back of the latest omission.
Koeman’s decision to exclude him from Barcelona’s Matchday 1 squad has made his stance on Pjanic’s first-team prospects in La Liga abundantly clear. The same goes for Coutinho, who has become a target for Lazio in recent weeks.
The Brazilian has never hit the ground running at Barcelona following his big-money arrival from Liverpool in January 2018. Fast forward three years, Coutinho is not even a bit-part player at Camp Nou, with the Blaugrana desperately looking to get rid of his whopping wages.
Although Lazio’s chances of signing the ex-Inter playmaker looked slim not long ago, they could be back in contention for his signature in the recent turn of events. The Biancocelesti are eager to sign Coutinho on loan and pay half his salary.
With the deadline day approaching rapidly, we might not have to wait long to find out whether the pair will play in Serie A again.