Barcelona midfielder Philippe Coutinho has no shortage of suitors as Chelsea, Manchester United and PSG are all interested in signing him in the summer.
According to a report from Sport, as carried by Daily Mail, Chelsea, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain are all monitoring the situation of Barcelona playmaker Philippe Coutinho, who could be on his way out of Camp Nou in the summer.
Coutinho sealed a dream move to Barcelona from Liverpool in January 2018 in a deal worth £142 million, but has struggled to settle at the club. His first full-season in La Liga has failed to live up to the expectations as the 26-year-old has scored just 5 goals and set up 2 more in 28 league appearances.
This has led to a lot of speculation surrounding his future with the club, with the report claiming that the Catalans are open to the possibility of cutting their losses on him by sanctioning a sale in the summer.
Coutinho’s potential availability has put a number of clubs across Europe on high alert. Premier League giants Chelsea have entered the race to sign the Brazilian playmaker amid uncertainties surrounding the future of star attacker Eden Hazard. Even if the Belgian snubs a transfer to Real Madrid, the Blues will pursue Coutinho’s signature with a view of teaming up the two players.
However, Chelsea’s hands are tied as they are currently under a two-window transfer ban imposed by FIFA. The Blues have appealed to get the ban lifted and are also planning to go to the Court of Arbitration for Sport should the appeal fail. Any move for Coutinho will hinge on Chelsea’s transfer ban being rescinded by FIFA.
Manchester United are also monitoring the 26-year-old playmaker’s situation with keen interest. The Red Devils want to boost their squad ahead of next season in order to challenge for titles and while Coutinho is not at the top of their shopping list, the Brazilian is someone that they are looking at.
Signing him would add a different dimension to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side, who could use someone of the Brazilian’s guile. Moreover, with Paul Pogba heavily getting linked with a switch to Real Madrid of late, a move for Coutinho would make a lot of sense. With the player himself interested in a switch to Manchester United as per recent reports, a deal could materialise.
PSG are also in the hunt for the Brazilian’s signature as per the report. The French champions are coasting towards another Ligue 1 title, but have once again disappointed on the continental stages. They are hoping that signing Coutinho and uniting him with Brazil teammate Neymar could help them take the next step in the Champions League.
A transfer to Chelsea could be completely off should their transfer ban be upheld, while the glut of options at PSG could discourage Coutinho from moving to France, making a switch to Manchester United a likely prospect. However, should the Red Devils fail to qualify for the Champions League, the Brazilian might think twice about a move.
It will be interesting to see where Coutinho eventually ends up in the summer or if he decides to stay put at Barcelona.
