Barcelona flop Coutinho could be set for Tottenham Hotspur move
Barcelona flop Philippe Coutinho has been offered to EPL side Tottenham Hotspur, according to reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano.
Coutinho, who joined Barcelona from EPL giants Liverpool for a fee of £145 million in January 2018, has been on loan at German giants Bayern Munich since last summer.
Barcelona willing to sell him for a loss
While Romano has confirmed that Tottenham indeed have been offered Coutinho, they are not the only EPL club linked with the attacking midfielder.
Apart from Tottenham, Arsenal, Manchester United and Newcastle United have all shown an interest in the Brazilian. A return to Liverpool has also been touted.
Amidst all this, it has been reported that Barcelona would be willing to take a whopping £60 million loss just to get Coutinho off their books. The Catalans are dealing with financial difficulties of their own, and with an interest in Inter Milan's Lautaro Martinez, they are looking to sell as many players as possible to afford him.
Coutinho was regarded as one of the best-attacking midfielders in the world during his spell with EPL side Liverpool. Such were his performances that Barcelona signed him to replace departing club legend Andres Iniesta.
Coutinho began his spell at Barcelona well. However, failure to fit into then-manager Ernesto Valverde's system and the consequent poor form led him to leave on loan to Bayern Munich.
The 28-year old made 76 appearances for Barcelona in all competitions, scoring 21 goals and providing 11 assists before being shipped out to the Bundesliga. Coutinho has been in good form there as well. In 32 appearances for Bayern Munich this season, he has scored 9 goals and provided 8 assists. However, it seems unlikely that the Bavarians will activate the €120 million clause in his contract to sign him permanently.
A move to Tottenham makes little sense. Jose Mourinho's team has a good assortment of midfielders. While Christian Eriksen departed for Inter Milan this January, Dele Alli's good form under the Portuguese in the no.10 role indicates that links to Coutinho might just be paper talk.
The EPL side have to focus more on solving their full-back deficiencies. Veteran centre-back Jan Vertonghen has had to play at left-back on many occasions this season. Serge Aurier remain suspect at right-back as well.
Leicester City might be a good destination if James Maddison departs. Brendan Rodgers knows Coutinho from his time at Liverpool and the no.10 would be available if Maddison leaves.
A return to Barcelona seems unlikely. Quique Setien's side seem to have moved on from Coutinho. With Antoine Griezmann's arrival at the club, there is no position readily available for Coutinho at Barcelona. And unless they want a £145 million player to be on the bench, selling him is the best option.
Coutinho remains a good player. He ranks 5th in the Bayern Munich squad for key passes, and 3rd in the squad for shots per game. He also manages 1.5 dribbles per game.
While his stock may have diminished due to a horror spell at Barcelona, Coutinho would be a valuable addition to any team.