Philippe Coutinho could join on loan Arsenal this summer according to reports in Spain, with the Gunners set to hold talks with Barcelona on Sunday after the sides meet in a pre-season friendly at Camp Nou.
Via the Daily Express, Sport claim that the Gunners’ head of football Raul Sanllehi is said to be planning talks with Barcelona while they are in Spain for the Joan Gamper Trophy, with the Catalan side reportedly prepared to send the Brazilian out on loan due to a lack of interest in a permanent deal.
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Where exactly Coutinho fits in at Arsenal remains to be seen, with Nicolas Pepe having already arrived and the leaky defence still the most pressing issue for Unai Emery.
Coutinho would still be an unbelievable signing for Arsenal. So good, in fact, that it seems too good to be true. Sport’s claims appear to be largely based on the fact that Arsenal are in Spain anyway, so they have an advantage in the race – it might just be a case of putting two and two together.
Where Arsenal would get the funds from is another problem. It was thought earlier in the summer that their entire transfer budget was under £50 million, and they have already splashed £72 million on signing Pepe.
For the record, if Coutinho is available on loan, the Reds should be all over it. A player of that quality coming in would be an absolute no-brainer – and on a temporary deal, he would not cost a fortune.
Letting Arsenal have a free run at him would be ludicrous.