Arsenal are supposedly set to open talks with Kia Joorabchian over a deal to bring Philippe Coutinho to the Emirates this summer.
The Brazilian has struggled to settle since leaving Liverpool to join Barcelona in January 2018, and he looks likely to be on the move again come the summer.
Coutinho was deemed surplus to requirements at the Nou Camp last summer, and was allowed to join Bayern Munich on loan with an option to buy, but the Bavarian giants are expected to overlook that option.
There have been reports that Chelsea were in talks, with talk of a possible loan with an option to buy, but his agent has since poured water on those reports, by stating that no club had made any such contact as of yet.
Arsenal are now said to be preparing themselves to enter into negotiations with Kia, with manager Mikel Arteta dreaming of making him a central player for the club moving forward.
A permanent deal for Coutinho looks unlikely in the coming window unless Barca are going to lower their current asking price, but another loan deal with an option to buy next summer could well be possible.
The Brazilian could well be eyed as the long-term replacement for Mesut Ozil, who is set to enter into the final 12 months of his playing contract next week.
The German has enjoyed a return to the first-team fold under Mikel Arteta, a feat that Coutinho will surely be targeting at whichever club he joins in the coming window, having struggled to nail down a regular starting berth over the past two campaigns.
Is there any doubt that Coutinho still possesses the talent that persuaded Barcelona to break their club record transfer fee in 2018? Could he be the key ingredient to bring us back into contention?
Patrick
