Manchester United and Chelsea have inquired about Barcelona’s Philippe Coutinho, according to Fernando Polo of Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo.
Manchester United and Chelsea Inquire About Philippe Coutinho
Philippe Coutinho Has Been Disappointing at Barcelona
Since his £142 million move to the Camp Nou, Philippe Coutinho has been poor. The former Liverpool attacker never lived up to the price tag, and after one and a half seasons with Barcelona, they loaned him out to Bayern Munich with the hope that it could reignite his career. This, however, has not been the case, and the Brazilian looks set to go back to Spain. When he returns, though, it is extremely likely that Coutinho will leave the club, with many others interested and Barcelona looking to fund a return for Neymar, who they sold to Paris Saint-Germain for a record fee. Among those looking into the Barcelona flop are Manchester United and Chelsea.
Chelsea’s Interest
Chelsea have shown much interest in Coutinho for some time. The Blues’ transfer ban kept them from him last summer, but with £150 million from the sale of Eden Hazard, they have sufficient funds. With Barcelona looking for £85 million in return for the Brazilian, they may be in luck. The London club had their transfer ban lifted in late 2019, and have already made one signing. Frank Lampard will look to make Coutinho the second new player to put pen to paper under his leadership.
Manchester United’s Interest
Manchester United need a right-winger, and while Jadon Sancho is also on their wishlist, Coutinho is another option. Although the Brazilian is more suited to the left, Marcus Rashford has established himself there this season, and with Coutinho’s ability to play on either side, he could be a great move for United. Despite this, the Red Devils are not in the greatest financial situation, and with the Manchester side also looking to make other moves this summer, signing Philippe Coutinho may not be the top priority.
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