According to reports out of Spain, Mauricio Pochettino’s side has made a loan bid for the Barcelona midfielder who looks set for a move back to the Premier League.
After falling out of the pecking order at Camp Nou, Philippe Coutinho looks on his way out of Spain. The Brazilian came to Barcelona on a 142 million euros switch from Liverpool in January of 2018 but has failed to live up to expectations. With new signings like Frenkie De Jong and Antoine Griezmann, there frankly isn’t any spot for the 27-year old with the club right now so a season-long loan could be the smartest option.
Arsenal previously became front runners to sign the former Liverpool star, but have now backed off after signing Nicholas Pepe and Dani Ceballos to strengthen their attack. Unai Emery’s side is now looking to bolster their defense, so they have turned their interest away from Coutinho.
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Spurs have swooped in and now made a bid for Coutinho, who would reportedly cost them between 21 and 27 million euros.
Mauricio Pochettino previously managed Coutinho at Spanish side Espanyol in 2012 and was impressed with his abilities. The Argentine believes he can bring the best out of the Brazilian attacker, who was an absolute star at Liverpool before moving to Barcelona. In Coutinho’s one season at Espanyol under Pochettino, he began to solidify himself as an electric player in the final third with tremendous skill, tactical abilities, and ruthlessness in front of goal. Just a year later, he made the move to Anfield.
With the Premier League transfer window ending on Thursday evening, Tottenham will have to make a decision relatively quickly if they want to add Coutinho to their already impressive attack with the likes of Heung-min Son, Harry Kane, and fellow Brazilian Lucas Moura, among others. With the addition of Tanguy Ndombele in their midfield as well, Tottenham looks in good form heading into this weekend’s Premier League opener.
A move back to England looks to be the best decision for Coutinho at this point because he won’t see much time on the pitch at Barcelona this season if he stays there. Going back to a familiar league where he enjoyed a lot of success, even though it was with Liverpool, could be beneficial for the Brazilian international.
A loan spell for the midfielder could depend on what happens with Christian Eriksen, who has been linked with a move away from the club all summer but still remains at Tottenham. Manchester United are the latest club to have the Dane on their radar with just over 24 hours remaining in the transfer window.
If Spurs seal a move for Coutinho, he would become the highest-paid player at the club, earning 200,000 euros per week.