Tottenham have been dealt a transfer blow in their pursuit of Philippe Coutinho, as his asking price and wage demands might be too lofty for a deal to get over the line. Jordan Seward of the Daily Mail recently said Spurs are in a five-way race for the 28-year-old, but it’s hard to see Daniel Levy sanctioning a club-record deal to sign him.
What went wrong for Coutinho in Spain?
Coutinho left Liverpool for Barcelona in January 2018 and has gone on to make 76 appearances in all competitions, scoring 21 goals with 11 assists. The Brazilian international was prolific in his first half-season at the Camp Nou (22 games, 10 goals, six assists), but he struggled in 2018/19 (54 games, 11 goals, five assists).
Coutinho was loaned out to Bayern Munich (August 19, 2019 – August 31, 2020) where he scored nine goals and made eight assists in 34 games, but the German outfit weren’t interested in turning the deal permanent. Barcelona don’t want to keep Coutinho either, so a move away looks on the cards.
How much would he cost?
Sport said in June that the 28-year-old would be available for €70m, which would surpass the club-record €60m spent on Tanguy Ndombele. Tottenham may have to sell to buy this summer, so it’s hard to see how they’ll raise the funds to shell out so much money.
Coutinho’s wages would be another issue too. According to Marca (h/t Express), the Brazilian takes home £240k-per-week/£12.48m-a-year at Barca, which is more than our highest-earner Harry Kane (£200k-per-week/£10.4m-a-year). That’s not to say he wouldn’t be a good addition to the ranks, however.
What would Coutinho bring to the squad?
In addition to providing a goal threat from distance and offering creativity between the lines, Coutinho is an expert at weaving past opponents on the ball and is capable of playing in a variety of roles. He can operate as a central playmaker, providing a link between midfield and attack, and he’s played as a wide-forward, cutting inside to work an opening.
Summary
Coutinho would be a brilliant addition to the Tottenham squad and could flourish with the likes of Heung-min Son and Harry Kane to supply, but he’s very expensive. It’s common knowledge that Daniel Levy doesn’t have lucrative funds to blow on a summer spree, so the 28-year-old might not be attainable. Whether he’s willing to make the step down from Barca is unknown too.
In other news, AC Milan are interested in a Tottenham defender and could make a move this summer