Koeman: Coutinho's Barcelona Future Uncertain
New Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman says no decision has been made on Philippe Coutinho
Ronald Koeman refused to be drawn over the future of Philippe Coutinho but did reveal Frenkie de Jong will be key to a new-look Barcelona.
Coutinho remains the LaLiga club's record signing but has struggled to live up to expectations following his big-money move from Liverpool, leading to him going on loan to Bayern Munich.
That season-long deal came back to haunt Barca in the Champions League, however, as the Brazilian scored Bayern's final two goals in the 8-2 quarter-final rout that led to the sacking of Quique Setien.
Koeman was confirmed in the job on Wednesday, the Dutchman handed the difficult task of overseeing a major overhaul at Camp Nou.
As it stands, Coutinho is set to return ahead of the 2020-21 season and while heavily linked with a move to Arsenal, the 28-year-old could still be part of the new coach's plans.
"He is a Barcelona player and if decisions have to be made, we will make them," Koeman said at a press conference when asked about Coutinho.
"Now I have more time to get to know the young people out there. It is a time to give young people possibilities. We have no doubts about putting young people in when they deserve it.
"You have to have a balance between experience and youth. We have to play with more intensity."
While Koeman refused to commit one way or the other over Coutinho, he left no doubt over De Jong's status ahead of the expected rebuild.
The former Netherlands boss knows all about his compatriot from their time together with the national team, with the plan seemingly for De Jong to revert to the position he excelled in with Ajax.
A move to a more deep-lying role in midfield for the 23-year-old would come at the expense of Sergio Busquets, who may find himself pushed out of contention amid the changes.
"For a player who comes to Barca, his first year is always complicated," Koeman said of De Jong. "The positive thing is that he has played many games.
"He has not played in his position. For me, the most important thing is to find the position in which the players sit more comfortable. If you get it, they get the best performance."
Barca had two different coaches in charge across a disappointing 2019-20 campaign, Setien having been appointed in January following the departure of Ernesto Valverde.
They did sit top of the table in Spain upon the restart following the enforced break due to the coronavirus pandemic, yet ended up finishing second to rivals Real Madrid.
