Arsenal will be taking on Barcelona in the final of the Joan Gamper trophy on the 4th of August and it seems some transfer discussions might also take place on the same day.
And as per the latest reports in Express, Arsenal officials and specifically Head of Football Raul Sanllehi would be meeting people from the Spanish club to discuss a loan move for Philippe Coutinho.
Spanish publication Sport are claiming that the Catalans are looking at sending the Brazilian on loan and the Premier League is the most likeliest destination.
But as per Express, if the North London club were to get Coutinho on a loan deal, they will have to part with a sizable fee and Barcelona want that to provide cover for the installments that they owe Liverpool. And with the club visiting Barcelona, it could potentially give them an advantage over their Premier League rivals.
It is also difficult to see where the Emirates club would be able to find the money for Coutinho after they just recently spent a club record £72m on winger Nicolas Pepe. Unai Emery’s side had a limited budget to begin with so it would be hard for them to muster the funds needed to bring the Brazilian.
The Gunners have also been looking at bringing in Kieran Tierney from Celtic and if they were to do that, it is an indication that they do not have enough money to give Barca. With the signings of players such as Frenkie de Jong and Antoine Griezmann, the first team chances for Coutinho would have decreased significantly.
He may be thinking that he needs to go elsewhere if he is to play more football and might be considering a return to familiar surroundings. Coutinho has already proven himself in the Premier League and he would not require any time to adjust to it.
Though the deal looks a little unlikely at this point, anything can happen between now and the end of the transfer window. One thing for sure is that the Gunners will be getting a great player in Coutinho and he will surely boost the overall quality of the squad.
We still have a few days in the window so all we can do now is wait and watch to see what Arsenal end up doing.
