Martin Keown believes that it will be safer for Arsenal to land Willian from Chelsea than for the Gunners to land former Liverpool man, Philippe Coutinho.
Coutinho and Willian have both been linked with a move to Mikel Arteta’s team this summer as the Spaniard looks to add some star power to his new side.
Willian will be free to join the Gunners after he ran down his contract at Chelsea, but Coutinho has struggled for form and consistency since he left Liverpool for Barcelona in 2018.
The Catalans have given up on him ever making it as their player and they are looking to ship him out again this season after sending him on loan to Bayern Munich last summer.
Arsenal will want more creativity as they cannot get that from Mesut Ozil at the moment and that has made them pursue a deal for Coutinho and Willian.
Because of the financial restrictions brought about by covid19, the Gunners might not be able to sign both players and Keown thinks they should pick Willian if they have to choose one.
“Coutinho has been linked with virtually everybody and seems, if I am honest, a bit unsettled,” former Gunners defender Keown told The Mirror.
“I think Willian is a safer bet. He’s in the capital, he knows the Premier League very well and he’s a top performer. I think it’s a huge loss for Chelsea.”
Martin Keown is a little pathetic and here’s why!
What needs to be done by Arsenal before anything else:
1. To extend Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang contract.
2. To sell Mesut Özil, Mattéo Guendouzi, Alexandre Lacazette, Lucas Torreira, Sead Kolasinac, Shkodran Mustafi, Rob Holding, Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Hector Bellerin, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and even David Luiz.
3. To solve Dani Ceballos situation.
4. To bring first Thomas Partey, Gabriel Magalhães, Dayot Upamecano
and finally, maybe
5. To bring Willian for almost 2 year contract with minimum wage possible.
I do most of the time live in the real world but I enjoy a bit of wishful thinking too
Dan Burcea, there is nothing “pathetic about Martin Keown. He is entitled to his opinion on a transfer situation, which is totally independent of the issues you discuss.
You too are entitled to your opinion also, but you demean yourself, when you belittle an Arsenal great.
It’s not about disrespect, but about inability to see the pointlessness of somme transfers and the emergency of extending Aubameyang’s contract!
If Aubameyang doesn’t sign, Willian or Coutinho arrival is in vain! Both players are wanted by Arteta, but totally useless without Aubameyang, around whom the whole reconstruction begins!
Sorry if something else was understood!
A few responses…
Miki has been loaned for another
year to Roma and his contract will
inevitably be terminated. No Sale
What clubs are willing to match
the astronomical wages of Ozil,
Kola, and Socratis? Unless there
willing to take substantial pay cuts
they wont be moved on.
Why would Arsenal entertain selling
both Holding and Luiz, the only
two experienced CB’s that barring
preseason injuries will be fit for the
EPL opener. Mari, CC, and Mustafi
wont be available, and even the
most glass half full Gunner would
be a little apprehensive about two
EPL rookies, Saliba and Gabriel being
the first choice CB on opening
day.
Nobody is going to pay £40M for
MG. Either use him in a potential
swap deal or loan him out with first
BB rights.
The DC situation becomes a moot
point if Arsenal are serious about
signing both PC and Partey. The
Spaniard is a brilliant player but
wont resign with Arsenal to sit on
the bench
I do agree that HB should be moved
on but with AMN being put up
for sale I just dont see that sale
happening.
Dont understand the hostility towards Keown. If we have to choose between Willian and Coutinho, Willian is much safer. This is a fact. Coutinho hasn’t performed since 2018, and he only had one consistent season with Liverpool is what people always forget. Willian is less wages, consistently plays, has winning experience (no offense to winning the Bayernliga). There are a lot of creative midfielders floating around right now. Would be smarter to get somebody that is young and can also hit the ground running. Coutinho has flopped at Bayern and Barca. It is risky to get him…
👍
Extend auba’s contract, sell of lacca,ozil, Maitland-niles,mustafi,Luiz and bring in partey, Gabriel,William and Rodriguez and may be coutinho if his wagedy won’t be so higher.