Arsenal, Tottenham and Leicester interested in signing Coutinho on loan
Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City are interested in signing Philippe Coutinho on loan, according to Spanish media outlet Sport.
Barcelona are desperate to get Coutinho off their wage bill so that they can focus on signing their primary transfer targets like Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez. They signed the Brazilian from Liverpool for an initial fee of £105 million which could rise to £142 million based on bonuses.
The 28 year old has not lived up to his potential at the Camp Nou and was loaned out to Bayern Munich at the start of the 2019/20 season. He scored nine goals and provided eight assists in 34 games across all competitions for the Bavarian side. The German champions had the option to turn his loan into a permanent transfer but decided against it.
Coutinho is believed to be keen on a return to the Premier League. His agent, Kia Joorabchian, has close ties to members of the Arsenal hierarchy and this could work in favour of the North London club. Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea have all turned down the chance to sign the Brazilian on loan. Tottenham and Leicester have shown an interest in the player.
The Gunners are waiting to see if they will play European football next season before making any big moves in the transfer market. If they beat Chelsea in the FA Cup Final next week, they will qualify for next season’s Europa League.
The North London club are believed to be keen on bringing Coutinho to the Emirates but have baulked at the cost of getting a deal for him over the line. They are open to the possibility of offering Matteo Guendouzi to the Spanish giants in exchange for the Brazilian. The player understands that he might need to take a pay cut but wants to avoid that if possible.
It must be noted that if Liverpool fail to sign Thiago from Bayern Munich, they could turn to Coutinho. Jurgen Klopp is a big fan of the Brazilian.
On where Coutinho will play football next year, Kia Joorabchian said:
“We are looking to see if an option becomes available in the Premier League because that’s where he’s already enjoyed success.”
The Blaugrana have told his agent that any potential suitors must pay an £18.2 million loan fee in addition to covering the player’s wages which stand at £9.1 million.
