Why Tottenham should avoid signing Philippe Coutinho in the summer
According to the Express, Tottenham are one among the host of Premier League clubs interested in signing Philippe Coutinho from Barcelona once his loan spell at Bayern Munich ends.
Things have just not worked out for the Brazilian, 27, since he departed Liverpool in January 2018. He is currently on loan at Bayern Munich, who have a £102m option to make the deal permanent, the Express claims.
The report adds that Barcelona want to make several changes to their squad in the summer and have told Coutinho that he can leave for a cut-price fee of £77m. In the process, the attacking midfielder has already attracted interest from Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City, along with Tottenham.
Meanwhile, Tottenham enjoyed a productive January transfer window. They signed Steven Bergwijn and Gedson Fernandes, as well as tied down Giovanni Lo Celso to a permanent deal. The north Londoners also cashed in on Christian Eriksen, selling the Dane to Inter Milan for a fee of around £16.9m. (h/t BBC)
Eriksen was a crucial player for Spurs and his departure has left a void in Jose Mourinho’s squad. Hence, it’s vital for Mourinho to sign a replacement for the Dane in the summer window. However, the Portuguese tactician would be wise to view Lo Celso as Eriksen’s readymade replacement.
Lo Celso has enjoyed a regular run in the first team under Mourinho, thriving in a deeper central midfield position. His recent performances convinced the north London side to turn his loan deal into a permanent one. The Argentinean is only 23 and signing him for just £27.3 million is a shrewd piece of business by Spurs.
Having acquired the services of Lo Celso, Mourinho and co. must avoid signing Philippe Coutinho. The 27-year-old scored 41 goals and provided 35 assists for Liverpool in 152 appearances during a five-year spell in Merseyside. At Liverpool, he established himself as one of the best playmakers in the Premier League.
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However, the Brazil international has struggled for form since leaving Anfield for Barcelona in 2018. He may have shown signs of regaining his form on loan at Bayern this season – and has solid Premier League experience to boast about – but the fact of the matter is that Coutinho isn’t the right fit for Spurs.
Tottenham have an array of attackers at Mourinho’s disposal and they must not waste their resources by signing the former Liverpool ace.
Verdict
Tottenham would be wise to not sign Coutinho from Barcelona. Mourinho has other areas to address and must spend the club’s money wisely in the summer.
