According to Express, Tottenham Hotspur are monitoring the situation of Philippe Coutinho. Barcelona are reportedly keen on offloading the playmaker, who is currently on loan at Bayern Munich, in the summer for a fee of £77 million. However, the Lilywhites are set to face stiff competition from league rivals Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea.
How has Coutinho performed at Bayern?
In order to figure out whether or not Coutinho will be a viable signing for Tottenham, it is essential to analyse his performances at Bayern Munich this season.
The Brazilian had initially moved to Bavaria in a season-long loan deal, in search of regular game-time. Unfortunately, however, the results haven’t been overwhelming.
Although Coutinho has scored six goals in 18 Bundesliga matches this season, three of them came in the 6-1 rout over Werder Bremen. The winger wasn’t highly rated by Niko Kovac during the first phase of the campaign while new manager Hansi Flick has often preferred Thomas Muller.
As a result, Coutinho has mustered only 12 Bundesliga starts this season. And with Serge Gnabry and Kingsley Coman returning to full fitness, the Brazilian’s struggles due to lack of game-time is likely to continue throughout the rest of the campaign.
It is, however, fair to point out that the winger has performed quite well whenever he has been given a chance.
How does Coutinho fit in at Tottenham?
Coutinho’s potential arrival at Tottenham in the summer could create loads of complications in the attacking department. The Lilywhites boast the services of the likes of Son Heung-Min, Dele Alli, Steven Bergwijn, Giovani Lo Celso and Lucas Moura, all of whom are capable of featuring in Coutinho’s favoured left-wing or attacking midfield slot.
While Lo Celso is likely to operate in a deeper role, Jose Mourinho might have to choose two of Alli, Coutinho and Son if he is to persist with a 4-2-3-1, with Harry Kane leading the attack. So, in fairness, the Brazilian’s addition to the Tottenham attack doesn’t make sense unless the Lilywhites are planning life without Son or Alli next season.
Why Tottenham should look elsewhere
While it will be a tactically confusing task for Mourinho to accomodate Coutinho into the starting lineup, it is also fair to point out that Lo Celso has recently established himself as a regular first-team player for the club. He was even rewarded with a permanent contract in January.
The Argentine ace has shown a lot of promise, and it looks like he does have what it takes to replace Christian Eriksen. Therefore, it would be wiser for Tottenham to shift their interest towards a new striker or even a defender in the summer, instead of signing a playmaker who could create confusion in the starting lineup.
