Arsenal closing in on Barcelona’s €20 million-rated midfielder loan move

When Xavi Hernandez arrived and declared that every player would be given a clean slate to impress, one knew that it would be one of the last chances Phillipe Coutinho got to succeed at Barcelona.

Yet, the Brazilian has once again failed to prove his worth under a new manager. Unsurprisingly, the Catalan club are now looking for an exit for the record fee signing.

Coutinho is aware of the situation and prefers a move back to the Premier League. Arsenal, Tottenham, Newcastle United and Everton have all emerged as possible destinations for the former Liverpool star. Mikel Arteta’s side are in the driver’s seat, according to SPORT.

From the Catalan club’s end, they are willing to facilitate the transfer by providing any help they can, most likely in terms of the salary. The Blaugranas realise the importance of any small reduction on the wage bill, especially because the new signings need to be registered under the league salary cap.

Arteta is looking for a player with similar characteristics and would be open to signing Coutinho. The move can only be engineered by a loan formula, and Barcelona are ready to facilitate the move by helping as much as possible.

There were reports suggesting that the 29-year-old could be pushed out in a swap deal involving Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, but there have been no updates on that front.

The hope at Barcelona is that Coutinho can improve his market value while on loan, helping the club recoup some of the investment they made.

In five starts, he has managed two goals for his side. However, his inability to integrate with the team’s philosophy has been the cause of his fall at Barcelona.

Philippe Coutinho has been linked to Arsenal for over two seasons, now. However, it seems the most farfetched at this time. The North London outfit have Emil Smith Rowe and Martin Odegaard in roles very similar to the Brazilian. Would be best to take these rumours with a pinch of salt (and hope).

Player valuation in title obtained from transfermarkt.com on date of publication.