Philippe Coutinho was a star player at Liverpool. Then in 2018, he made his move to Barcelona FC. He didn’t have good luck there and went on loan to Bayern Munich. He helped Munich win the Bundesliga title this year. However, he needs a new home because Barca still doesn’t want to keep him. There are now rumors about Arsenal being interested in a player swap deal with Coutinho.
The Gunners are looking at trading off Matteo Guendouzi to Barca to gain Coutinho in their lineup. Barca has Coutinho on a contract until 2023, but want to get them off their wage bill early. Arsenal needs a cheap deal this year due to the economic impact of the pandemic.
Guendouzi fell off of Mikel Arteta’s list last month in their game against Brighton. Guendouzi grabbed Neal Maupay by the throat in the game. This has resulted in Guendouzi being absent in the last eight games.
There are a few other teams that have been linked to wanting Coutinho. Tottenham Hotspurs, Leicester City and Chelsea. Chelsea is an unlikely option for the Brazilian. They have already made major transfers this year with Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech. There are also rumors about Kai Havertz making his way to the Blue’s as well.
Coutinho’s agent, Kia Joorbchian, is an Arsenal fan. He also represents Arsenal defenders, David Luiz and Cedric Soares. This has brought Joorbchian close with Arsenal’s technical director, Edu. Edu is a fan of Coutinho and there are ties to Barca’s chiefs liking Guendouzi. With close ties, there is a high chance of this deal happening.
Arsenal could make a cash deal of 60 million, but the swap would be cheaper and more beneficial for both teams. Arteta has also been told that he must sell before buying this season. But the swap would be a loophole.
Although Arsenal’s primary goal was to sign defenders and holding midfielders, Coutinho would still be a good option. He doesn’t play a holding mid position, but he would be able to feed great balls to the forwards. This would be great for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Bukayo Saka, who has been great for Arsenal this season. With this offensive line, Arsenal would be a good competitor next year.
It would also be a good swap for Barca. With Guendouzi being 21 years old, that brings youth to the field. Many of the great players like Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Arturo Vidal and Gerard Pique are in their thirties. They can still make amazing plays, but their game has become slower. People can see the energy on the field with younger players like Riqui Puig. Having Guendouzi on the field would help with the speed of their game.
Many are hoping to have Coutinho back in Premier League. With this swap deal, people would see Coutinho back in Premier League, but in a new shade of red.
