Barcelona outcast Philippe Coutinho appeared inching closer to a summer signing with Arsenal as reports from Spain indicated that the Premier League club is leading the race to get the services of the Brazilian playmaker. The Gunners enjoy an advantage thanks to their head of football Raul Sanllehi, who worked at Camp Nou in the past.
It is understood that Sanllehi is the link between Arsenal and Barcelona, and the executive is facilitating the talks between the two sides. Also, Sanllehi is believed to be a close friend of Kia Joorabchian, Coutinho's agent, and the tie could be the key to forge a deal that all parties can agree on.
Citing the report from Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo, Metro said the Gunners are in pole position to pave the way for Coutinho's return to the Premier League.
The winger signed a blockbuster deal with Barcelona in 2018 and exited from Liverpool mid-season. Coutinho, however, struggled to find the form that made him a star at Anfield and was sent to Bayern Munich on a loan deal at the start of the 2019-20 season.
With the Bavarians, the 28-year-old displayed the specks of his excellence with the Reds by scoring eight goals and making six assists in the campaign. Still, the German side opted not to sign Coutinho to a permanent deal and Camp Nou is forced to shop the player around for prospective buyers in Europe.
Coutinho finally settling down with a new team for the next season will not be easy though as Barcelona will likely make a hard push to recoup the investment poured on him, estimated to be at £142 million. Likewise, the player's wage is seen as a contentious part of the deal talks because Coutinho is reportedly getting £220,000 per week, an amount that no team is interested to pay.
A possible swap deal on the Brazilian was also proposed but Arsenal sending Matteo Guendouzi to Camp Nou for a discounted price on Coutinho seemed not acceptable to the English side. So hammering out a deal between the two clubs is deemed a hard work on Sanllehi's part.
Meanwhile, The Telegraph reported that the deal talks on Coutinho will not start until the pre-season due to the perceived uncertainties prevailing in the Catalan side at the moment. It was suggested that the Spanish giants' plate is full at the moment and offloading the midfielder is last on the club's list.
The top priority for Barca is the selling of Antoine Griezmann and Ousmane Dembele as these players are tipped to attract the most attention and will generate the cash needed for planned acquisitions in the summer.
Also, it is expected that manager Quique Setien will leave the club for failure to win the La Liga title this season. So Barcelona will likely wait for the new man in charge before conducting negotiations on transfer deals, the report added.
