According to a recent report by AS, as cited by the Daily Mirror, Premier League giants Chelsea are said to be in the driver’s seat, regarding the summer acquisition of Brazilian midfielder Philippe Coutinho. The report suggests that the Blues have already made contact with Coutinho’s parent club Barcelona, and Lampard has held discussions with the star discussing a possible return to the Premier League next season.
The former Liverpool star, who is currently plying his trade in Germany for Bayern Munich on loan from Spanish champions Barcelona, hasn’t had the best of seasons in Bavaria. Despite not playing overly badly for the Bundesliga outfit since joining, the likelihood of Munich activating their buy-on clause is looking quite bleak.
Also, the Brazilian was acquired by Barcelona for a fairly hefty fee a couple of seasons ago, and it’s safe to say that he has not come anywhere close to justifying the transfer fee that the Catalan side paid for him.
What Would Chelsea Be Getting By Signing Philippe Coutinho?
The former Liverpool star was widely considered to be one of the deadliest attacking-midfielders in the world while he was still a Premier League player, and the current dip in form that he’s displaying could be down to the change of situation. The Brazilian’s tricky feet and ability to pick out passes from near impossible distances and angles made him a real fan-favourite at Merseyside as well.
A quick look back at some of the fixtures in which he’s lined up against the Blues highlights the sheer quality that the Barcelona star possesses. More than capable of running a game with his passing and movement in the middle of the park, the Brazilian’s biggest strength is his ability to hit the target from long distances. The diminutive attacker has played in over 200 fixtures for the Reds before joining Barcelona – a period during which he scored 54 times and picked up a further 45 assists, thereby averaging a goal contribution every couple of games.
Why Chelsea Needn’t Spend All This Money On Coutinho?
The Blues are lucky enough to boast what is arguably the strongest group of midfielders in the whole of Europe. Even though players like Ruben Loftus-Cheek and N’Golo Kante have barely featured this season, the London club have managed to hold onto fourth place up until this point. The likes of Mateo Kovacic and Mason Mount have stepped up to the plate since the opening week, and the addition of a new attacking midfielder would offer nothing but more selection worries for Lampard.
The addition of Hakim Ziyech to the side must be seen as a shrewd move, as the Moroccan is versatile enough to play anywhere across the front-line. With wide stars like Christian Pulisic and Callum Hudson-Odoi yet to really get an extended run out in the team, it wouldn’t make sense for Chelsea to add another number ten to this side at this point, especially when the player in question hasn’t been displaying the best runs of form over recent seasons.
