Philippe Coutinho has surprised viewers of his latest two games with Barcelona, lacing up in a pair of all-black football boots.
After wearing his usual Phantom Vision boots in the first leg of the cup against Levante, Coutinho switched to what's all but confirmed to be a blacked-out pair of Nike Mercurial Vapor 12 boots for the league game against Eibar as well as the cup return leg.
Although there was speculation about him testing out the next generation of the Mercurial in training, the boots worn in the last two Barcelona matches are definitely the current generation.
There are several possible explanations for this. First, it could be that Coutinho was contemplating leaving Nike - this, however, is quite unlikely and there were no other indications to this such as him testing other brands' cleats in training or news reports about the contract ending. Another possibility is that Coutinho is simply unhappy with the Phantom Vision and tries to regain his starting spot by switching to the Mercurial, which is the boot he did after all wear before the Phantom was debuted last summer.
For the moment, we very much lean towards the second option, but we'll keep an eye on this story as it evolves to be sure. So stay tuned for updates as they happen.
What do you think is the reason behind Coutinho's blacked-out boots? Drop us a line below.