Arsenal: Shock twist as Barcelona offer this midfielder to Arteta
Arsenal mustn’t complain about this proposition.
With the summer transfer window fast approaching, clubs will be picking at all the scraps they possibly can. For Arsenal, they have limited funds as it is, so they are bound to be prudent in their approach, whether that be through loan deals or pre-contract signings.
One of the main conundrums that Mikel Arteta will want to address is whether the Gunners manage to sign Dani Ceballos on a permanent deal or not. The Spaniard, who is on loan from Real Madrid, has been impressive since coming back from his injury and has been a key figure to Arsenal’s project restart. However, signing him is bound to set Arsenal back financially so it’s a risk they must assess.
According to a new report from Goal, though, Arsenal now have more options in this area of the pitch. The outlet claims that Barcelona have offered to give Philippe Coutinho away to the Gunners, with Newcastle also thought to be interested. Yes, he is bound to be expensive, but he won’t be nearly as expensive as Ceballos would be.
Coutinho has Premier League experience and a lot of it. He was known to be Liverpool’s best player before jumping ship to try and win the Champions League (but we all know now the irony of this move).
Coutinho does seem very much like a Mikel Arteta-type player. He is an anchor between the midfield and attack who is able to dribble the ball forward well and spray passes left, right and centre. He could be Arsenal’s answer to Kevin De Bruyne, albeit not as good.
Coutinho’s experience would serve him well, but we must not give into the temptation too easily. The board must analyse firstly if this is the real position they need to strengthen and secondly, whether Ceballos or Coutinho is the right option.
Do you think Arsenal will sign Philippe Coutinho?
