Former Liverpool star Phillippe Coutinho has not had the dream move to Barcelona that he may have envisaged back in 2018 and it now seems that the La Liga club want to sell him.
He also wants to leave and he is hopeful that he can return to England, with Arsenal being reported as one of the clubs interested in him.
According to Goal, Coutinho’s representatives are pushing for a move to England, with the Gunnersand fellow Premier League club Newcastle United apparently the desired destinations.
If he were to move to the Emirates Stadium, it would involve a loan with an option to buy, but Coutinho and his agents will have to convince Barcelona to agree to such a deal. There certainly won’t be any decision until the end of the Premier League season.
The Brazilian has been at Bayern Munich on loan this season and had a decent campaign, playing 34 times and scoring nine goals whilst picking up eight assists, via Transfermarkt. He has also averaged 2.8 shots, 1.4 key passes and 1.6 successful dribbles a game, per WhoScored. This shows that Coutinho still possesses some of the great attacking threat which secured him the £130.5m move to Barcelona in the first place.
With Arsenal looking like they want Mesut Ozil sold in the summer if possible, and with the German playmaker not featuring in Mikel Arteta’s squad lately as the Spaniard has overlooked him, the Gunners could use a creative player who can change a game – and Coutinho could be the man to do so.
If they can acquire him on loan, then they could see if he can still set the Premier League alight like he did before and then decide whether to pursue him on a permanent transfer. It seems like this would work for all parties as Coutinho could also have a point to prove to his parent club.
Gunners fans, does this news about Coutinho excite you? Comment below with your views!
