Barcelona is doing everything imaginable to offload players in a hurry so they can register new signing Ferran Torres, who just joined from Manchester City.

One of those outcasts who looks to be on his way out in the January transfer window is Philippe Coutinho. The Brazilian is garnering a lot of interest from Premier League clubs but according to Sky Sports' Kaveh Solhekol, the race for Coutinho's signature is down to two teams:

We’ve just got a message from somebody close to the player’s camp who is telling us now: ‘We are down to two clubs.’

“Of course, over the last few days we’ve been reporting that five Premier League clubs are interested in signing Philippe Coutinho on loan from Barcelona. The Spanish club have said he can leave and they want the deal done very quickly.

“Yesterday we told you it was five clubs, then a sixth club also expressed an interest in signing him.

“But the latest information we have is just a message saying we are down to two clubs.”

It's unknown exactly what two clubs are keen eyeing a move, but on Wednesday, Aston Villa boss and former Liverpool teammate Steven Gerrard reportedly contacted Barcelona to inquire about Coutinho. There's a good possibility Villa is one of the serious candidates.

Both Merseyside clubs, Everton and Liverpool, are also interested in his services. But, a move to either the Toffees or Villa would likely make the most sense for Coutinho because they're not such high-profile sides. The attacker has evidently fallen out of favor at Barcelona and it's time for a fresh start. It will be very interesting to see where in England he ends up, a place where Coutinho once was a star.