According to Football.London, Arsenal are among the clubs interested in the services of Philippe Coutinho. The Brazilian has been deemed surplus to the requirements by Ernesto Valverde and Barcelona are reportedly keen on offloading him in the ongoing summer transfer window. It is believed that Arsenal sporting director Raul Sanllehi’s good relationship with Barca have put the Gunners in the driving seat to sign Coutinho on loan.
Where does Coutinho fit in at Arsenal?
Arsenal made one of the biggest coups in the transfer market by securing the services of Nicolas Pepe. The Ivorian international has been brought in from LOSC Lille in a five-year instalment deal that would see the North London giants pay €80 million.
Pepe’s addition is likely to solve most of Arsenal’s attacking problems as they have mainly lacked the services of a natural winger. Coutinho, in that regard, will further strengthen the offensive unit and the Brazilian’s creativity will make the duo of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette even more prolific in front of goal.
Coutinho can be deployed in the left-wing in Emery’s 4-2-3-1 with Pepe starting on the opposite flank. Mesut Ozil could feature as the lone attacking midfielder. But alternatively, Arsenal could opt for a 4-4-2 setup, which will make it easier to accomodate the fantastic four of Coutinho, Pepe, Aubameyang and Lacazette.
Ozil’s departure will be crucial
If Arsenal are to sign the Barcelona star this summer, they must need to get rid of their star player Ozil. The former Real Madrid star bags a hefty wage and is one of many reasons behind the club’s recent financial restraints. His departure will help the Gunners recover a considerable amount of wage budget, allowing them to pursue a loan move for Coutinho.
Besides, Ozil’s presence in the team will also make it difficult for the Brazilian to get regular game-time. That being said, Arsenal have less than a week left before they can possibly sign Coutinho, meaning they will also have to offload Ozil during that timeframe. And this could be a challenging thing to do given his expensive wages.
Arsenal need to focus on other targets
As mentioned earlier, Pepe’s addition will significantly revamp the Arsenal attack. Hence, it would perhaps be a wiser option for the club to shift their interest towards other areas of the pitch.
The defensive department, in particular, still needs reinforcements. The Gunners are already closing in on the capture of Celtic star Kieran Tierney. But, they also need to buy a centre-back, especially with both Laurent Koscielny and Shkodran Mustafi likely to leave Emirates this summer.
