Transfer News: Tottenham Hotspur dealt blow as Barcelona midfielder Philippe Coutinho prefers Arsenal move

According to Spanish publication SPORT (h/t The Express), Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt a transfer blow as Barcelona midfielder Philippe Coutinho prefers moving to Arsenal. He has failed to make a mark at Camp Nou since leaving Liverpool and could make a Premier League return to rediscover his mojo.

Newcastle United and Everton have also been linked with trying to get the signature of the Brazilian. Barca are eager to get rid of him alongside Samuel Umtiti next month to manage their bleak financial situation.

Coutinho’s representatives have contacted all the interested parties as they try to facilitate a loan transfer in the winter transfer window. The Catalan club is willing to help with the finances, indicating their desperate need to get him off the wage bill.

Spurs lose out on Coutinho?

All is not lost, as many factors need to be aligned before a transfer gets finalised. Things could still favour us if there is any breakdown in negotiations between the North London rivals and the player’s representatives. Then, there is also the issue of reaching an agreement with the La Liga giants.

If Spurs are keen on getting the Blaugrana outcast, then we should put in more effort and put out a serious offer. But it would depend on the stance that Antonio Conte would take regarding this matter. Should he believe that the midfielder would be a great addition to our project, then our board would be smart to back him by giving him what he asks for.

There would be concerns about his form and how he has flopped since moving to Spain. He has been a shadow of his former self when he excelled at Anfield. He was a disappointment even at his loan spell with Bayern Munich when they were arguably playing at a very high level, even by their standards. As such, the question of whether he would be successful or not is valid for the right reasons.

But Conte has shown it time and time again how he gets the best out of the players available to him. He has done the same with Oliver Skipp and Harry Winks, who are arguably playing at a very high level now.

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Coutinho is a versatile player and can play centrally as well as out wide. His spell at Liverpool was perhaps his career’s peak, where he dug them out of a hole on several occasions with his magical passes and/or goals.

If he enjoyed his peak in England, there’s no real reason why he can’t recreate that again. But for that, we would have to beat potential suitors and put forth a respectable offer to lure him to N17. If we are genuinely interested in him and still let him join Arsenal, it would just be a big shame.