In a recent report, Sport revealed that Arsenal are eyeing a move for Barcelona playmaker Philippe Coutinho. It has been mentioned that the Gunners and Everton are working on getting a deal done for the Brazil international.
Coutinho’s Limited Role At The Nou Camp This Season
The Rio de Janeiro-born talent has been serving as a squad player for Barca during this campaign but has struggled to find consistency in the attacking end of the field. Coutinho has participated in 16 matches for the Catalan giants this season, finding the back of the net twice for them across all competitions.
Most of the Brazilian’s appearances have come off the bench so far in this campaign. Still, he has done well to average 2.0 shots and 1.1 dribbles per game in La Liga. Coutinho has also been tidy when distributing the ball in the final third, as evidenced by his pass completion rate of 86.8% in the Spanish top-flight (stats via whoscored).
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What Will Coutinho Bring To Arsenal?
Coutinho remains an excellent dribbler with the ball at his feet and can strike the ball with power and precision from long range. He can still score some important goals for his team when he is playing with confidence on the field. The 29-year-old is versatile enough to play anywhere across the frontline. However, he has struggled to create chances for others around him this season and has experienced his fair share of injury problems in the past.
The Gunners should only consider moving in for Coutinho if they can land him on a cut-price deal this winter. The ex-Liverpool player could bring some added firepower to Mikel Arteta‘s attack and will undoubtedly offer some healthy competition for Martin Odegaard and Emile Smith Rowe for a regular starting spot at the Emirates Stadium.
At 29, Coutinho has still got enough time to turn his career around for the better. If Arteta is confident about getting the best out of the Brazilian sensation, he should think about bringing the player to North London in January to boost Arsenal‘s chances of securing a top-four spot in the Premier League this season.
