Coutinho not for sale, agent insists after meeting with Barcelona

Despite links to Paris Saint-Germain, Philippe Coutinho received assurances from Barcelona this week that he's not on the market.

"I was told they have no intention of selling him, that Barcelona have not spoken to anyone, and that stories to the contrary are simply not true," Kia Joorabchian, the player's agent, told The Telegraph's Jason Burt.

Joorabchian met with Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu on Wednesday to determine whether his client was indeed for sale. He was told that reports of Coutinho's impending departure were unfounded.

"Either Barcelona have to contain the people within their organization who are giving out information to the contrary or they have to tell us the truth if they have changed their minds," Joorabchian added.

A source close to Barcelona told ESPN in May that Coutinho would be sold in the summer. It was later reported that PSG had consulted the Brazilian's entourage about a possible transfer. PSG would reportedly accept Coutinho as a makeweight in a deal for Neymar, who, according to Barcelona vice president Jordi Cardoner, is interested in returning to the Catalan giants.

Coutinho has failed to impress since joining Barcelona from Liverpool in January 2018 for an initial €120 million.