Arsenal eye stunning loan deal for £144m ex-Liverpool man

Joe Williams
Phillippe Coutinho Brazil

Arsenal are looking to take Barcelona playmaker Philippe Coutinho on loan this season, according to reports in Spain.

Coutinho left Liverpool in January 2018 to join Barcelona in a deal worth up to £144m – but the Brazilian has struggled to settle at the Nou Camp while the Reds have gone on to claim Champions League glory.

As a result, he has been linked with numerous transfers this summer with United and PSG seemingly among his suitors, while Jurgen Klopp recently insisted the club won’t be bringing him back this summer.

And now Spanish publication Sport (via the Daily Express) claims that Barcelona are ready to let Coutinho go out on loan with a move to the Premier League the most likely outcome.

Arsenal‘s head of football Raul Sanllehi will reportedly meet up with his Barcelona counterparts when the two clubs face each other on Sunday in a pre-season friendly and Coutinho could be on the agenda.

The report in Sport adds that Arsenal are closing in on a deal with Barca demanding a loan fee for Coutinho to cover outstanding payments to Liverpool for last summer’s transfer.

With clubs unlikely to be able to buy Coutinho this summer, the Catalan giants will settle for a loan with an option to buy next summer.