According to a recent report by Mundo Deportivo, Premier League side Newcastle United are said to have opened talks with former Liverpool midfielder Philippe Coutinho, over a potential switch to St. James’ Park in the upcoming transfer window. The report suggests that the acquisition of Coutinho has already been approved by both the potential managers for next season – Mauricio Pochettino and Rafa Benitez. Also, the Magpies have already entered into a conversation with the Barcelona man to try and explain their upcoming project.
The report suggests that the Brazilian extending his stay at Bayern Munich is ‘almost impossible’, and that Barcelona are keen to cash in on him in the summer. The likes of Manchester United, Chelsea, Tottenham and Arsenal are said to be interested in acquiring the Brazilian, but it is Newcastle United who have made the initial advancements. With the fact that Newcastle United have opened talks with Philippe Coutinho now clarified, the onus is on the rest of his suitors to try and lure him in another direction.
What Would Philippe Coutinho Add To The Magpies’ Squad?
The former Liverpool man’s biggest asset is undoubtedly the fact that he can play across a variety of positions depending on the immediate requirement. Obviously at his best when deployed in a number ten role providing direct support to the striker, the Barcelona man is more than capable of slotting in on one of the flanks, or even in the middle of the park if needed.
The Brazilian has already proven from his days at Liverpool that he’s got a brilliant long-shot on him. At the same time, the sheer finesse and composure he could bring to the core of the Newcastle team would be incomparable.
What Are The Magpies’ Current Options In The Middle Of The Park?
Central midfield is probably not one of the areas that the Magpies’ staff will immediately be concerned about, owing to the sheer number of options that Steve Bruce currently has at his disposal. Brothers Sean and Matty Longstaff (although Matty’s contract is ending imminently) are both central midfielders by position, while Newcastle also possesses names like Issac Hayden, Jonjo Shelvey and even Nabil Bentaleb in their ranks. This means that they’re certainly not targeting another central midfielder by going for Coutinho.
What the Magpies are after is undoubtedly an attacker that can breathe a bit of fresh air into the Tyneside club. Despite the good displays of Allan Saint-Maximin and Miguel Almiron in the latter stages of the season, there is an alarming lack of creativity within this Newcastle United side. The addition of a player like Coutinho would be a massive boost for the team, as they aspire to achieve much bigger things than usual from the upcoming Premier League season onwards.
Newcastle United Have Opened Talks With Philippe Coutinho: Smart Move For The Magpies?
The Brazilian was quite an exemplary player during his days at Anfield. Still, the switch to Barcelona, and subsequently Bayern Munich, have done little to move the forward’s career in the right direction. He’s looked toothless when going forward at times this season, while his exploits for Barcelona can only be branded as ‘average’ as well. With that said though, a return to the Premier League could help reignite that former fire in the midfielder, and Newcastle United would do superbly well to sign him from under the noses of all the English heavyweights in the equation.
