Philippe Coutinho to join Bayern Munich on season-long loan

Barcelona's midfielder Philippe Coutinho is set to join Bayern Munich on a season-long loan as both the clubs have agreed on the basic framework for the transfer on Saturday.

Brazilian midfielder will initially join the German record champions from the Catalan side on a season-long loan, with Bayern to possess an option to make the deal for the 27-year-old forward permanent after that.

"I can confirm that Hasan Salihamidzic and I were in Barcelona last Wednesday and reached an agreement with FC Barcelona and the player. We've watched Coutinho for quite some time. The name doesn't matter, only the quality," said FC Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in an official statement.

Coutinho joined Barcelona from Liverpool in summer 2018, rating as the second-most expensive player in the world at the time after his fellow countryman Neymar. He previously had spells at Espanyol Barcelona, Inter Milan and in his home country at Vasco da Gama. He has 56 full international caps for Brazil and has scored 16 goals for his country.

Head coach Niko Kovac said: "In my opinion, not only FC Bayern Munich but also the entire Bundesliga and the whole of Germany can be delighted to be welcoming such a big-name player to our league."

Coutinho is expected in Munich in the next few days to finalise the deal and complete the obligatory pre-transfer medical.