Barcelona outcast Philippe Coutinho has been advised to choose Tottenham Hotspur over Arsenal in the January transfer window by Glen Johnson.
Speaking to Bettingodds.com, as relayed by the Express, former Liverpool defender Glen Johnson has urged Barcelona playmaker Philippe Coutinho to choose a move to Tottenham Hotspur over north London rivals Arsenal.
Coutinho left Liverpool for Barcelona in January 2018 but has endured a torrid spell in Catalonia. Having struggled in his first eighteen months, the Brazilian was shipped out on loan in 2019/20 to Bayern Munich where he performed reasonably well. Back at Barcelona last year, he failed to take his chances before a long-term injury ruled him out for the season.
Coutinho has now returned to full fitness and has been given a few opportunities to make an impression by Ronald Koeman. However, the 29-year-old has failed to do that and, as a result, has been linked with an exit from Camp Nou either in January or at the end of the season.
A switch to north London has been mooted in the recent past, with both Arsenal and Tottenham said to be interested in signing the former Liverpool midfielder. And, Johnson has given his two cents on which club should Coutinho choose to sign for if the two London giants come calling for him.
“He’s linked with the two big north London clubs, and if he was to go to one of them, then I’d say Tottenham if I’m being honest. Philippe [Coutinho] knows that he’s not in a great position at the moment, and if he was to go to an Arsenal side who are struggling, then that could affect him even more,” he said.
“Arsenal obviously have some very good players, but they’re so far away from the top four, which is evident from their performances, that they can’t afford to have a luxury player such as Philippe Coutinho. You need to build the foundations of a team before you can start prioritising the signing of a number 10. In general, Tottenham are going in a better direction than Arsenal.”
Arsenal strengthened their attacking midfield department with the signing of Martin Odegaard in the summer. With Emile Smith Rowe also at Mikel Arteta’s disposal, another No. 10 like Coutinho might not be a priority at the moment. Tottenham, however, could use someone like the Brazilian star given their struggles in creating chances and scoring goals this term.
With Dele Alli staring at an uncertain future, Coutinho can prove to be a handy signing for Nuno Espirito Santo’s men given his quality and proven pedigree in the Premier League.
