'I have to go back' - Philippe Coutinho braced for a return to Barcelona

Philippe Coutinho admitted his future remains uncertain, but confirmed that he will have to return to Barcelona first.

Coutinho’s season-long loan spell at Bayern Munich ended on Sunday upon helping the German giants defeat Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 in Sunday’s Champions League final to complete a remarkable treble.

Now it’s a question of what next for the former Liverpool star? A Premier League return has been frequently mooted, while the latest reports in Spain claim Ronald Koeman wants him back at Barcelona for next season.

But while Coutinho confirmed he will head back to Camp Nou, he couldn’t confirm if he would be staying.

“I haven’t thought about this. I have to go back and I want to work hard to have a great year,” he told Movistar+. “I don’t know if [it will be] in Barcelona.”

Coutinho, who claimed the first Champions League title of his career in Lisbon, replaced Serge Gnabry as a 68th-minute substitute in his last appearance for Bayern.

While the Brazilian suffered his fair share of ups-and-downs in Germany last season, he still leaves with a handful of trophies to his name.

“We had a great season and we are very happy,” continued Coutinho. “We’ve deserved this and it’s a special feeling.

“I’m finding it hard to describe, I’m very happy and we are going to enjoy this a lot today.”

Coutinho ended the campaign with 11 goals and nine assists to his name in 38 appearances across all competitions for Bayern.

Should he leave Barcelona again this summer either on loan or permanently, Arsenal could be a potential destination.