---
title: "Tottenham Hotspur: Philippe Coutinho signing would be Jose Mourinho’s new Christian Eriksen – Opinion"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/tottenham-hotspur-philippe-coutinho-signing-would-be-jose-mourinhos-new-christian-eriksen-opinion/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Emilio Galantini"
section: "Premier League"
published: "2020-08-21T11:20:01Z"
modified: "2020-08-21T11:20:01Z"
---

# Tottenham Hotspur: Philippe Coutinho signing would be Jose Mourinho’s new Christian Eriksen – Opinion

**Speaking to BonusCodeBets, via [The Metro](https://metro.co.uk/2020/08/19/arsenal-chelsea-spurs-john-barnes-philippe-coutinho-transfer-news-13149720/), Liverpool legend John Barnes advised Barcelona playmaker Philippe Coutinho against a move to Tottenham – hinting that rivals Arsenal or Chelsea would be his best options, but chairman Daniel Levy could still pull off a masterstroke by signing the ex-Premier League star.**

Coutinho, whose Barca contract expires in 2023, has endured a mixed spell at the La Liga giants since they opted to sign the Brazilian in a head-turning [£142 million deal](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/42580173) – with the player even admitting himself he was sub-par back in 2018/2019 ([Marca](https://www.marca.com/en/football/barcelona/2019/06/10/5cfe8d3fe2704e032f8b459a.html)).

Now, the club are allegedly [listening to offers](https://www.footballinsider247.com/sources-tottenham-told-they-can-sign-superstar-for-8m-next-season/) for another loan deal to take him off their wage books, and it’s little wonder given the superstar’s salary currently stands at around [£240,000-per-week](https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1169758/Philippe-Coutinho-Bayern-Munich-Schalke-wages-salary-contract).

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[Football Insider](https://www.footballinsider247.com/sources-tottenham-told-they-can-sign-superstar-for-8m-next-season/) reported back in May that Spurs are in the running for Coutinho, with Tottenham among other interested parties having to pay an initial £8 million fee plus the entirety of his wages to bring him in on a loan deal for the 2020/2021 season.

The 28-year-old’s agent, Kia Joorabchian, has made no secret of his client’s desire to make a Premier League return ([talkSPORT](https://talksport.com/football/738733/willian-transfer-chelsea-concrete-offers-premier-league-kia-joorabchian-arsenal-tottenham-man-utd/)) – and Coutinho’s availability could give Levy the chance to arguably make his best Spurs deal yet.

Lauded as a ‘[genius](https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/liverpool-philippe-coutinho-phil-thompson-resign-a4413381.html)‘ by ex-Reds pundit Phil Thompson, the attacking midfielder certainly racked up some impressive figures last campaign – averaging nearly as many [shots per 90](https://www.whoscored.com/Players/80767/Show/Philippe-Coutinho) as Spurs stars Harry Kane and Son Heung-min ([WhoScored](https://www.whoscored.com/Teams/30/Show/England-Tottenham)).

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As well as this, he even managed [more key passes](https://www.whoscored.com/Players/80767/Show/Philippe-Coutinho) domestically than ex-Tottenham hero [Christian Eriksen](https://www.whoscored.com/Teams/30/Show/England-Tottenham) before the Dane’s move to Inter Milan – marking him out as a like-for-like successor.

Despite Barnes suggesting Spurs wouldn’t be a suitable club for Coutinho when commenting on the links, the north London side may well be contenders for his signature, and a swoop could be Levy’s jewel in the crown.

***Spurs fans, do you want to see your club sign Philippe Coutinho this summer? Join the discussion by commenting below…***