As per a report from the Daily Express, Premier League heavyweights Chelsea have made an enquiry about the availability of Barcelona and Brazil superstar Philippe Coutinho.
The 26-year-old forced through a move to Barcelona last January, with the Catalans shelling out £142 million to sign him from Liverpool. In his debut campaign, Coutinho made 22 appearances scoring ten goals and setting up six more, on his way to lifting the La Liga and the Copa Del Rey.
The new season started on a positive note for the Brazilian playmaker but the rise in stature of Ousmane Dembele has seen Coutinho getting relegated to bench duties in recent months. The former Liverpool man has started just 11 La Liga fixtures this term.
Coutinho’s current plight has led to rumours that Barcelona are open to a sale, leading to interest from Manchester United. And now Chelsea too have jumped on the bandwagon to try and secure the 26-year-old’s signature. (h/t Daily Express)
Chelsea, after an excellent start to life under new manager Maurizio Sarri, have hit a roadblock of sorts in recent weeks. Following their 2-0 defeat at the hands of London rivals Arsenal this past weekend, the Blues, who occupy the final Champions League qualifying spot, are just three points above the Gunners and Manchester United who are level on points in fifth and sixth positions respectively.
The West Londoners have looked rather toothless in the attack in recent matches under the former Napoli boss. With strikers Alvaro Morata and Olivier Giroud not performing well enough, the manager was forced to use Eden Hazard as a false nine but that hasn’t worked out all too well for the team.
However, the Blues have lacked a creative presence from the middle of the park, with the likes of Mateo Kovacic and Ross Barkley not convincing enough, while Jorginho hasn’t also been nearly effective enough.
And this is where signing Coutinho could prove to be a shrewd move by Chelsea. The Brazilian can easily slot in on the left side of the midfield three and provide the forward thrust and creativity from the middle of the park that Chelsea have so often lacked this season.
Moreover, with growing doubts over Eden Hazard’s future at the club, Coutinho could prove to be the ideal replacement for the Belgian attacker on Chelsea’s left flank. The 26-year-old has the experience of playing in the Premier League and has proven himself in England. He had attained the status of one of the best attacking midfielders in the league, before his move to Barcelona materialized.
Despite not playing regularly enough for Barcelona this term, Coutinho has come up with returns of six goals and five assists from 27 matches (19 starts) in all competitions, highlighting his quality.
It is being claimed that Barca would consider selling the Brazilian for a fee in the range of £100million (h/t Daily Express), which in the current market, would be a steal for a player of his class. And that is why Chelsea should look to press ahead with their pursuit of Coutinho – if not in January, then in the summer.
