BARCELONA’S Philippe Coutinho has joined Bayern Munich on a one-year loan worth 8.5 million euros (US$9.5 million) with an option to buy, the Spanish club confirmed Monday.

The 27-year-old Brazilian joined Barcelona from Liverpool in January 2018 for an initial 120 million euros in a deal that included another 40 million euros in potential add-ons.

But the international midfielder’s stint at Barcelona never worked out as hoped.

Initially tried in midfield, where he plays for Brazil, Coutinho was pushed into the front three by Ernesto Valverde last season but the switch never paid off and fans rarely glimpsed the form he showed at Liverpool.

Speculation about his future had shadowed Coutinho over the summer with French champions Paris Saint-Germain mentioned as a likely destination in a deal linked to a potential Neymar return to Barcelona.(SD-Agencies)