The man who discovered Lionel Messi says FC Barcelona overspent on Philippe Coutinho

Reuters

• FC Barcelona overspent on former Liverpool FC midfielder Philippe Coutinho, according to a renowned scout.

• Josep Maria Minguella, the man who discovered Lionel Messi, says Barça has failed to secure value for money for recent signings.

FC Barcelona collected a world record £200 million ($271 million) fee when it sold Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 — but it has not spent the money wisely.

That is according to renowned football scout Josep Maria Minguella, the man who discovered a young Lionel Messi.

Barça signed Phillipe Coutinho from Liverpool FC for €160 million ($190 million / £140 million) on Sunday. It also spent €140 million ($167 million / £123 million) on Borussia Dortmund's Ousmane Dembélé. 

But Minguella said neither deal represents value for money.

"Coutinho is not worth €160 million," he said on the T4 programme on Radio MARCA. "He is a good player who will improve the team but he can't be worth what they paid for him.

"The departure of Neymar saw Dembele quickly signed, but he isn't worth €140 million. Now Coutinho at €160 million… despite the current madness in the world of football, that can't be accepted as the market price."

Barcelona's next match is a Copa del Rey second leg game against Celta Vigo at Camp Nou on Thursday evening.

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