According to the reports from Spanish Media outlet Marca, Manchester City are one of the teams who have a chance of signing Barcelona’s Philippe Coutinho. The Brazilian playmaker is said to be willing to move away from Barcelona after his nightmarish 18 months at the Camp Nou.
The other clubs who can sign Coutinho are Chelsea and Paris Saint Germain. Any transfer move for Chelsea would depend on whether CAS would be able to overturn the transfer ban that has been imposed on them by FIFA. Therefore as of now, only PSG and Manchester City have a chance to sign the former Liverpool player.
However, reports from Manchester Evening News adds that Pep Guardiola is happy with his attacking options and he is not in the market to sign someone like Coutinho. The 27-year-old is also unwilling to take any pay cut so that will also be a hindrance for the Citizens.
What can Coutinho bring to the table?
The Brazilian might have been a forgotten star in the La Liga, but he was one of the shining stars during his stint with Liverpool. Coutinho was highly effective in the attacking third as he was able to open up defences with his slick passing. His work rate was also impressive, and he became one of the crucial members of the Reds team in his last few years.
He is most primarily remembered for his memorable goals from long range and offering him any shooting space on his right side was often deadly for the opposition. The midfielder is still in his prime, and he would look to resurrect his career in the next few years after a failed spell with the Catalan giants.
Should Guardiola consider signing him?
Coutinho is a proven player in the Premier League, and he showed that he could perform at the big stages as well. However, the Citizens have a brilliant playmaker in the form of Kevin De Bruyne, who was arguably better than Coutinho when he was at Liverpool. In his absence, Bernardo Silva stepped up to the plate last season.
However, City might want to look at a replacement for David Silva, who is probably in the final leg of his career as he is 33. Coutinho can play as a left-sided central midfielder, and he could be a long term option at the club. But that would hinder the emergence of Phil Foden. Manchester City signing Coutinho is very unlikely to happen at the moment as the 27-year-old would cost a bomb and Guardiola is said to be satisfied with his attacking options. Not signing Coutinho is definitely the right way to go for the Premier League champions.
