Mikel Arteta could be looking on next season without aces Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Mesut Ozil and to fill the void that the departures will create, the Arsenal boss is reportedly planning to bring back a former Premier League star. The Gunners will be racing against rivals to win the signature of Philippe Coutinho.
The Brazilian attacker is currently with Bayern Munich but is not expected to remain with the Bundesliga club. It is believed as well that Coutinho will not be suiting up for Barcelona, his parent team, next season so he is available for interested teams, mostly in England.
According to Metro, Arteta has initiated contacts on the possibility of paving the way for Coutinho's return to the Premier League. The Brazilian last played in the league with Liverpool before heading to Spain in 2018.
If Arsenal's interest in Coutinho will prove correct, the North London club will be facing stiff competition to land the 27-year-old attacker. The rivals include the Gunners' North London rival Tottenham, Chelsea, Manchester United.
The report said Arsenal will want to check if the midfielder will indeed be made available once his loan spell at Bayern comes to an end. There are reports the Brazilian will want to win back his spot at the Barcelona first-team but he could also be marked as for sale, which will be in line with talks that the Spanish giants are going to rebuild in time for the summer transfer window.
It is possible too that Coutinho could remain in Munich but that happening seems a remote possibility for now. According to Talk Sport, Bayern has yet to decide on the fate of the former Liverpool star.
Signing up Coutinho to a permanent deal will greatly depend on what will happen in the upcoming games, according to Bayern chief Karl-Heinze Rummenigge. That is like saying that how the player will perform when the games resume will determine his continued stay at the German club.
The club chief said no decision has been made on Coutinho because the midfielder has so far exhibited mixed signals on the pitch.
"I think he played well in some games while in others he gave the impression of being a little inhibited," Rummenigge was reported as saying.
"The fact is that we all believe he is an exceptional footballer, we see him in training and sometimes during competitions. Everyone tries to help him, the coach, his teammates," added the Bayern executive.
Rummenigge said he and the club remain optimistic that Coutinho will soon pick up and display better consistency, adding "we have to hope that in the crucial weeks starting now, he will become an important factor in helping us win titles.
