Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly considering the prospect of signing Philippe Coutinho on loan in January, with Barcelona open to a deal.
According to a report from Catalan publication El Nacional, Barcelona are open to the prospect of loaning out flop signing Philippe Coutinho in the January transfer window, with Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur interested.
Coutinho arrived at Barcelona in the January transfer window of 2018 from Premier League bigwigs Liverpool in a club-record transfer. After an initial spark, though, it has been all downhill for the Brazilian in Catalonia. Having fallen out of favour after his first full season at the club, the 29-year-old was loaned out to Bayern Munich in the 2019/20 campaign.
Coutinho rediscovered some form with the Bavarian giants and was reintegrated into the Barcelona squad by Ronald Koeman last year but a serious injury cut his season short in December last year. Back to full fitness now, the ex-Liverpool ace has made a couple of appearances in the new season but seems like a pale shadow of the player he once used to be.
Naturally, Barcelona, who are mired in financial issues, are open to offloading Coutinho as it would help them get his massive wages off their books. The report states that the Catalans are hoping that the Brazilian playmaker will impress between now and the end of the year so as to attract suitors ahead of the January transfer window.
Barcelona would be willing to loan Coutinho out, but with an obligation for clubs to make his transfer permanent at the end of the season. And, it is claimed that both Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur have an interest in his services, having been linked with a move for the 29-year-old during the summer transfer window as well.
Arsenal had struggled with a lack of creative presence last season, something they have tried to address with the signing of Martin Odegaard. With Emile Smith Rowe also present at Mikel Arteta’s disposal, a move for Coutinho, midway through the campaign does not really make a lot of sense for the Gunners, more so considering that they are not playing in Europe and will be involved in fewer games than usual.
Tottenham, on the other hand, could use someone like Coutinho considering that Dele Alli hasn’t really shown a great improvement in his form under Nuno Espirito Santo while Giovani Lo Celso continues to underwhelm as well. Tanguy Ndombele has shown signs of life in recent games, but his future continues to be uncertain as well. So, a playmaker of Coutinho’s ilk could come in handy for the Lilywhites.
Coutinho’s fall from grace since leaving Liverpool to Barcelona has been hard to watch. But given his Premier League pedigree and experience, he would add some value to any team he signs. As things stand, his future at Camp Nou continues to be up in the air and whether Arsenal or Tottenham move for him remains to be seen.
