Barcelona says it is in negotiations to loan playmaker Philippe Coutinho to Bayern Munich.

Barcelona's director of institutional relations says there is "an initial agreement" for the transfer, but it hasn't been finalized yet.

Guillermo Amor made the comment on Friday before Barcelona opened its Spanish league campaign at Athletic Bilbao.

The 27-year-old Coutinho was not included in the squad for the team's opener.

Coutinho failed to live up to expectations after joining Barcelona in 2017 for a club-record transfer from Liverpool worth 160 million euros (then $192 million).

The Brazil playmaker scored 21 goals in 75 appearances for the Catalan club but was criticized by fans for not playing his best in decisive games.