According to The Express, Philippe Coutinho is looking to make a move out of Barcelona this summer. The Brazilian is reportedly being tracked by Manchester United and Paris Saint Germain, but it is now being claimed that the player is looking to sign for Chelsea.
Since his transfer to Barcelona from Liverpool in January 2018, the player has not been able to find his touch. This has been a concern for the player as well as the club, and there are speculations that 27-year-old midfield maestro might be leaving the Catalan club this summer. Chelsea are the latest club to be rumoured to have an interest in him.
This being the situation, the Blaugrana might look for a viable replacement for their Brazilian playmaker. In the following lines, we will have a look at three players who could be a replacement for Coutinho at Barcelona if he leaves for West London.
Antoine Griezmann
The Frenchman has been closely linked with the Blaugrana for some time now and to make things more interesting, the President of his former club Atletico Madrid, Gil Marin, has said that Griezmann is set to join Barcelona this summer. His inclusion is expected to help revamp the attack for the Blaugrana and could provide them with a top-class attacker.
The player, however, is more adept in playing as a secondary striker rather than a winger. Barcelona tend to play with a 4-3-3 formation, with Lionel Messi playing from the right as the wide attacker and Luis Suarez as the main striker. Now it is to be seen whether the Blaugrana change their formation to accommodate the World Cup winning attacker to their lineup if they can land him in the summer transfer window.
Mikel Oyarzabal
The Real Sociedad winger has been in decent form of late and has made his presence felt on the pitch for both his club and country. The 22-year-old could come into the Barcelona squad as a viable replacement for Coutinho as he is adept at playing in the left winger. Known for his darting runs down the left wing and his ability to deceive the opposition defenders with his classy footwork, the Spanish attacker could be a handy addition for the Blaugrana this summer.
Oyarzabal scored 13 goals and dished out four assists for Sociedad in the last term, earning rave reviews from many experts. If Barcelona can land him this summer, it could solve their longtime problem of a quality left winger and could will them with a decent attacking option for the future.
Gareth Bale
The Real Madrid attacker, just like Coutinho, has found it challenging to settle in at the Santiago Bernabeu fully. With Eden Hazard coming in, there is a strong possibility that the Welshman could be on the move this summer. As per recent speculations, the player has been linked with a return back to the Premier League with Manchester United, but Barcelona could put him to good use if they can land him.
The move could be beneficial for both the parties, with Bale getting a chance to revive his career away from the Bernabeu while Barcelona gets a competent forward who can score goals as well as provide assists for his teammates. The player being a Galactico, it might be difficult for the Blaugrana to land him due to the fierce rivalry between the two clubs.
