Arsenal are one of four Premier League clubs to have made an approach for former Liverpool star Philippe Coutinho, according to Mirror Sport, with the Brazilian a potential replacement for Mesut Ozil.
The 27-year old left the Reds in January 2018 for Barcelona, sealing a staggering £142 million transfer, and has since struggled to find his footing.
Currently on loan with Bayern Munich, Coutinho hasn’t been able to regularly impress since leaving Jurgen Klopp’s side, and with Mirror Sport claiming that Coutinho is now desperate for an England return, he has seen several sides express an interest.
With Bayern not willing to sign Coutinho on a permanent basis, and with the Brazil international not wanted by the Catalan giants either, four Premier League clubs (Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham) all want to sign him on loan.
Should Arsenal land the attacking midfielder, he could represent the perfect successor to German playmaker Ozil, who at 31 years of age is approaching the end of his Arsenal career.
Despite underwhelming for Bayern this season, the Brazilian has still scored eight goals and registered six assists in 22 Bundesliga appearances, which is a significantly more impressive return that Ozil’s one goal and two assists in 18 Premier League games.
Coutinho also posts more impressive individual stats than Ozil, averaging more shots per game (2.6) and dribbles per game (1.5), while the former Germany international has managed 0.5 and 0.9 respectively.
While an initial loan might not represent the most concrete plan for the future, Coutinho could succeed as Ozil’s immediate replacement, should the Gunners push ahead with their interest and they also consider selling the former Real Madrid man this summer, with his contract coming to an end.
