--- title: "Manchester City: Pep Guardiola turned down the chance to sign Philippe Coutinho" canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/manchester-city-pep-guardiola-turned-down-the-chance-to-sign-philippe-coutinho/" type: "post" language: "en-GB" author: "Liam Togher" section: "Manchester City Football Club" published: "2019-09-06T18:25:10Z" modified: "2019-09-06T18:25:10Z" --- # Manchester City: Pep Guardiola turned down the chance to sign Philippe Coutinho **Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola declined the opportunity to sign [Brazil international](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/philippe-coutinho/profil/spieler/80444) Philippe Coutinho from Barcelona this summer.** [![Premiership Picks](https://cdn.footballleagueworld.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Premiership-Picks-Desktop.png)](https://premierpicks.uk/) Catalan media outlet [TV3](https://www.ccma.cat/tv3/) reported \[[via Marca](https://www.marca.com/en/football/barcelona/2019/09/05/5d7106ceca474142628b4626.html)\] that the La Liga club had offered the 27-year-old forward to the Premier League champions during the summer transfer window. However, according to [TV3](https://www.ccma.cat/tv3/) \[[via Marca](https://www.marca.com/en/football/barcelona/2019/09/05/5d7106ceca474142628b4626.html)\], Guardiola was not interested in signing the player at the time, with [Sport Witness](https://sportwitness.co.uk/guardiola-said-no-player-offered-manchester-city-big-transfer-pep/) claiming that the Manchester City manager felt he did not need a player of Coutinho’s type. The playmaker subsequently joined Bayern Munich on a season-long loan from Barcelona for an €8.5m (£7.62m) fee with an option to sign him permanently for €120m (£107.43m) next summer, according to [Marca](https://www.marca.com/en/football/barcelona/2019/09/05/5d7106ceca474142628b4626.html). ![](https://cdn.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/THE-BREAKDOWN.png) Coutinho has [played as either a left-winger or central attacking midfielder for most of his career](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/philippe-coutinho/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/80444), with [59 of his 76 appearances for Barcelona coming as a left-sided attacker](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/philippe-coutinho/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/80444/verein/131). Despite heavy criticism of his performances by some fans at Camp Nou, as reported by [The Sun](https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/8907350/philippe-coutinho-barcelona-real-sociedad-booed-jeered/), he actually had a better scoring return for Barcelona, scoring [21 goals](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/philippe-coutinho/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/80444) for an average of 0.28 goals per game, than at previous club Liverpool, where he netted [54 times in 201 appearances](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/philippe-coutinho/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/80444) (0.27 goals per game). While Riyad Mahrez, Leroy Sane, Bernardo Silva and David Silva are [noted by Manchester City’s official website](https://www.mancity.com/news/first-team/first-team-news/2018/october/left-foot-forward-is-man-citys-david-silva-the-greatest) as predominantly left-footed players, and James Robinson of [dreamteamfc.com](https://www.dreamteamfc.com/c/news-gossip/443859/man-city-saul-niguez-left-foot/) claimed that Kevin De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling and Sergio Aguero are all stronger on their right foot, Janek Speight described Coutinho as “[two-footed](https://www.dw.com/en/bundesliga-build-around-philipe-coutinho-and-bayern-can-excel/a-50125195)” on [dw.com](https://www.dw.com/en/bundesliga-build-around-philipe-coutinho-and-bayern-can-excel/a-50125195), believing him to be equally strong on either peg. Although Coutinho’s goal record at Barcelona overall has been decent, his return last season was comparatively poor, with only [five in 34 league games](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/philippe-coutinho/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/80444) (0.15 goals per game) and [11 in 54 games in all competitions](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/philippe-coutinho/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/80444) (0.2 goals per game) after managing [eight goals in 18 La Liga matches (0.44 goals per game) in the previous campaign](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/philippe-coutinho/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/80444). His 2018/19 ratio pales in comparison with [Manchester City left-wingers Sterling and Sane](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/manchester-city/kadernachposition/verein/281), who scored [25 times in 51 games](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/manchester-city/leistungsdaten/verein/281/reldata/%262018/plus/1) (0.49 goals per game) and [16 goals in 47 games](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/manchester-city/leistungsdaten/verein/281/reldata/%262018/plus/1) (0.34 goals per game) respectively last season. Also, Sterling and Sane [each provided 18 assists last season](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/manchester-city/leistungsdaten/verein/281/reldata/%262018/plus/1), averaging 0.35 and 0.38 per game respectively. Coutinho set up just [11 goals in 76 appearances in total for Barcelona](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/philippe-coutinho/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/80444), 0.14 per game. ![](https://cdn.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Verdict.png) Coutinho’s form last season may have been well below his usual standards, but he has produced a decent goals tally over the course of his time with Liverpool and Barcelona, while also being noted as a player who is comfortable on either foot. Sane is only beginning what is [expected to be a long recovery from a cruciate ligament injury](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/leroy-sane-injury-update-man-city-news-knee-ligament-acl-how-long-recovery-time-bayern-munich-a9047391.html) and has been the subject of interest from Coutinho’s current club Bayern, as reported by [The Sun](https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/9864242/bayern-munich-leroy-sane-man-city-january/), while David Silva is [leaving the Etihad Stadium at the end of the season](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/48767169). If Sane follows him out the door, that would leave Guardiola without two playmakers from the current squad, and although he wasn’t to know that Sane would pick up a lengthy injury, maybe he ought to have taken up the opportunity to sign Coutinho when he was given the chance. ***Manchester City fans, should Guardiola have taken the chance to sign Coutinho when offered to him? Let us know your views by commenting below!***