Bayern Munich have ‘in principle’ agreed to a deal with Barcelona to sign Philippe Coutinho on a season-long loan.

The Bundesliga champions announced following their 2-2 draw with Hertha Berlin on Friday night that they had reached an agreement with the former Liverpool star, with an option to make the deal permanent at the end of the season.

The Brazilian is due in Munich in the coming days to finalise the deal and undergo a medical.

Bayern chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic travelled to Barcelona this week to seal the deal.

‘I can confirm that I was in Barcelona with Hasan on Wednesday and that we reached an agreement with both the club and the player,’ Rummenigge said on the club website. ‘We have been watching Coutinho for a while.’

Salihamidzic added: ‘I would also like to thank Barcelona. Of course, a few details are still to be sorted out, but we are very happy that we will bring this player to Bayern.’

Coutinho’s future has been the subject of intense speculation for the whole summer, given the arrival at the Nou Camp of Antoine Griezmann and their interest in bringing Neymar back to the club.

The Brazilian, who has struggled to reproduce the sort of form he showed for Liverpool since leaving the Reds in a £142-million deal in January 2018, was not in the Barcelona squad for their defeat by Athletic Bilbao on Friday.

Bayern coach Niko Kovac, who saw his side drop two points at home in their opening game of the Bundesliga season, also welcomed the impending arrival of Coutinho.

‘I am of the opinion that not only FC Bayern, but the entire Bundesliga and all of Germany can look forward to welcoming such a top player here in this league,’ he said.

Bayern also announced the ‘imminent signing’ of 20-year-old French midfielder Mickael Cuisance from Borussia Monchengladbach.