CHELSEA will have to fork out £70million for Philippe Coutinho, according to reports.

The Blues are keen to nab the ex-Liverpool man when he returns to Barcelona from a loan spell at Bayern Munich at the end of this season.

But the Brazilian will not come cheap and the West Londoners will need to stump up the eye-watering sum to land him, according to the Standard.

The 27-year-old has been on loan with the Bundesliga champs since last summer but they are unwilling to exercise their £105million option to buy him at the end of his spell.

And now it is thought Chelsea made a march on their rivals to land Coutinho by contacting the player’s agent Kia Joorabchian, with whom they have a strong relationship.

The Blues are up against a number of other sides in the hunt, though, with Manchester United, Tottenham and Arsenal among the interested parties.

But they were handed a boost at the end of last month when Antoine Griezmann hinted Coutinho was on his way out by revealing he plans to take the Brazil international’s number seven shirt at the Nou Camp.

Barcelona signed Coutinho from Liverpool in January 2018 for £145million.

But just 18 months later – and with 21 goals in 76 appearances – he was shipped out to Bayern on loan.

The playmaker is said to have his heart set on a return to England.

And even though he was a star at Liverpool, the acrimonious departure from Anfield means Coutinho is thought to have no qualms about joining rivals Chelsea or United.