Barcelona playmaker Philippe Coutinho has emerged as a transfer target for Everton, according to a report.

The former Liverpool man featured prominently under Ronald Koeman at the start of the season, but he has been out of action since January with a serious knee injury.

Coutinho was tipped to complete a move back to the Premier League last summer when his loan spell at Bayern Munich came to an end, although Koeman chose to give the attacker a new lease of life before he entered the treatment room.

Now, Marca reports that Barcelona's strong run of form without Coutinho means that Koeman is open to offloading him this summer, and Everton have taken an interest.

The report adds that the Toffees are prepared to table an opening bid of €40m (£34.8m) for the Brazil international, although his past affiliation with Liverpool may prove to be problematic.

Coutinho was linked with the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United last year, with his existing Blaugrana deal due to expire in 2023.