Barcelona will be raising cash in the summer for planned acquisitions and the Spanish giants are tipped to sell star players with Philippe Coutinho on top of the list. Reports said the Catalans are in advanced talks with Arsenal and the deal could see the Brazilian playing again in the Premier League.
Coutinho left in 2018 as he switched his Liverpool shirt for Barcelona but he struggled to shine in Camp Nou and ended up on a loan deal with Bayern Munich at the start of season 2019-20. The Bavarians opted out of making the transfer permanent, thus paving the way for the midfielder to bring his game back to England.
Reports suggested that Tottenham and Arsenal are in the running to sign Coutinho but the latter appeared to enjoy the lead. Citing the information from Spanish publication Sport, The Daily Mail said Barca and the Gunners are close to completing the deal on the player and the chance is high that Coutinho will join the English side on a loan deal soon.
The report added that Arsenal would love to add the 28-year-old on their roster and manager Mikel Arteta is looking forward to work with two Brazilian stars on his squad next season. Aside from Coutinho, Arteta's side could Chelsea man Willian joining up with the Blues.
However, having the two players around may not be possible as it would be too expensive for Arsenal, which recently announced cost-cutting measures such as the planned letting go of several club employees.
With the money situation tight, ESPN said Arteta will need to choose between Coutinho and Willian but per the same report, the Spanish boss is likely to favor Willian's acquisition. It would seem that the problem with Coutinho is his high salary and the loan fee that Barcelona will possibly demand.
In Willian's case, his transfer from Stamford Bridge to the Emirates is seen as more straightforward and hassle-free for the Gunners.
In any case, Kia Joorabchian, Coutinho's agent, has already indicated that his client can only focus on where to play next after his commitment to Bayern. The Bavarians are competing in the Champions League this August and their European campaign is estimated to last for at least two more weeks.
Joorabchian said the Barca man will likely pick England as his next destination, adding the Brazilian loves playing in the Premier League.
"After the Champions League, I think it's not been a secret, we've not kept it a secret, that he wants to come back to the Premier League if he can," Metro reported the agent as saying.
Coutinho excelled during his spell with Liverpool and playing again in the competition is his top priority, the agent added.
