Philippe Coutinho to Arsenal: Barcelona decision, Ronald Koeman verdict, player transfer stance

Arsenal have sealed their second major signing of the summer, after confirming the arrival of Gabriel Magalhaes from Lille.

The defender joins Willian, who signed as a free agent, but the Gunners are thought to be eyeing further creative reinforcements.

Amongst one of the key areas in need of strengthening this summer is the attacking-midfield role, with Barcelona starlet Philippe Coutinho reportedly offered to the Gunners.

The Brazil international has been closely linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium for several months and now that the summer transfer window is in full flight those reports are getting stronger and stronger.

With that in mind, here is a round-up of all the very latest on Coutinho's future and everything we know so far about the prospect of him joining Arsenal this summer.

Guendouzi swap deal

Matteo Guendouzi is set to leave Arsenal this summer and Barcelona are prepared to offer the out-of-favour Philippe Coutinho in an exchange deal for the French midfielder.

That is according to a report in French outlet Foot Mercato which outlines how the deal could suit all four parties.

Coutinho looks likely to return to the Premier League this summer and the Gunners are among the clubs who are interested in the former Liverpool star.

Barcelona to offer two midfielders

According to FootMercato, Barcelona were willing to let Philippe Coutinho join Arsenal if the Gunners paid £45million and let Matteo Guendouzi head to the Nou Camp.

However, the Gunners snubbed the proposal, and Barcelona have now reportedly made another offer to the north London club.

Barcelona have offered veteran midfielders Ivan Rakitic and Arturo Vidal to Arsenal in exchange for Guendouzi.

Coutinho request to Arsenal, loan fee

According to Spanish outlet Sport, Arsenal are still among the front runners to sign Coutinho from Barcelona and have already made an offer.

The report claims that Coutinho initially rejected Arsenal’s proposed offer from reduced wages, but the Brazilian has now made a U-turn and has asked Gunners chiefs to be given more time to consider his options.

Sport claim that Barcelona are still demanding a €20 million (£18m) loan fee for Coutinho and Arsenal would have to fund the majority of the midfielder’s £200,000-a-week salary.

Joorabchian opens door to transfer

Barcelona midfielder Coutinho is 'very much open' to sealing a return to the Premier League, his agent Joorabchian has confirmed.

The Brazil international left Liverpool in January 2018 to seal a move to the Spanish giants and the move has not worked out how anyone had imagined it would.

However, the former Inter Milan star is now looking at the prospect of returning to England for a second spell in the Premier League.

"It's no secret he wants to come back to the Premier League," Joorabchian told TalkSport.

"It's still very much open. There is a lot of genuine interest."

Liverpool can be denied windfall

According to The Express, part of Liverpool's £142m agreement that saw Coutinho move to Barcelona included an appearance-based add-on.

The report claims states Jurgen Klopp's side will be paid a further £17.5million, but only if Coutinho reaches 100 appearances for Barcelona.

But with the Brazilian on 74 appearances, Arsenal sealing a deal would prevent this from happening.

£9m transfer fee

Arsenal could pay just £9million to sign Coutinho on a permanent deal this summer, according to the Independent.

The report claims that the Barcelona man has been offered to both Arsenal and Tottenham, but a move to the Emirates is the more likely of the two.

Matteo Guendouzi is likely to leave the club at the end of the season, and one option is for the Gunners to use the midfielder as part of a swap deal for Coutinho.

A deal involving Gunedouzi going to Barcelona plus a £9 million fee for Arsenal to take Coutinho permanently has been suggested as a solution.

The Arsenal hierarchy are said to be weighing up the option, although interest from Juventus in Guendouzi could throw a spanner in the works.

Arteta's plan

Arsenal are among the contenders to sign Philippe Coutinho, and according to The Times, Coutinho is on Arteta's list of transfer targets.

The report claims the Arsenal boss has targeted the former Liverpool star with the intention of switching to a 4-3-3 formation next season.

The Arsenal head coach is familiar with the system predominantly used at Manchester City, after working under Pep Guardiola for three and a half seasons. At the Etihad, City often field a front three with a midfield trio of behind.

Wages

The Brazilian earns around £9million per year at Barcelona. To take him on loan last season, Bayern paid around £10million in a loan fee and then took his salary on board.

Money is expected to be tight this summer at the Emirates, even allowing for Europa League qualification after the FA Cup triumph.

Sanllehi prioritises Willian despite Barca offer

According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, Barcelona offered Philippe Coutinho to Arsenal days ago but there is nothing advanced at present.

The Gunners are thought to be putting their effort into sealing the signing of Willian on a free transfer.

Chelsea reportedly made another contract offer to the winger, but that has been turned down.

Final hurdle as terms 'agreed'

Arsenal and Philippe Coutinho have agreed personal terms, according to Spanish publication Catalan Sport.

The printed version of the publication has claimed that an agreement has been reached between the player and Arsenal, and now it's just down to the Gunners agreeing a deal with Barcelona.

Whether that's true remains to be seen, but Coutinho could be one step closer to a return to the Premier League.

Coutinho stance

Coutinho's agent Kia Joorabchian, who is closely linked with Arsenal director Edu, previously admitted his client would like to focus on the remainder of the Champions League campaign before thinking about a move.

The midfielder is still on loan at Bayern Munich, with the German club securing their place in the quarter-finals after knocking Chelsea out 7-1 on aggregate.

"Because the Champions League will run until August 23, it will be difficult for players like Coutinho to make any commitments or moves pre that date," Joorabchian said before Bayern's 4-1 win over Chelsea on Saturday.

"Because he has the Champions League at the moment, they have to qualify past Chelsea. And then he has got to play Barcelona, believe it or not.

"For him to make a commitment pre having finished the Champions League.

"He loves playing in the Premier League, he is adored playing in the Premier League and that is one of his priorities. He is not at all against staying at Barcelona."

Barcelona offer

According to Sky Italy and Guardian journalist Fabrizio Romano, Barcelona have indeed offered Coutinho to Arsenal.

But it is claimed that Arsenal have been focusing on getting a deal for Willian over the line.

And with the Brazilian set to be announced, Arsenal can now switch their attention back to other signings, with a decision to be made on Coutinho.

What Philippe Coutinho has done on social media

Arsenal fans have been quick to notice Philippe Coutinho's latest social media activity amid ongoing transfer talk.

The Brazilian midfielder has been heavily tipped for a return to England after his disappointing spell at Barcelona.

As a result, Gunners supporters have been keeping an eye on the Brazilian's social media in recent weeks, given he has been linked with a move to north London. Read here

Jurgen Klopp admission about Coutinho position

If Coutinho does return to the Premier League, Arsenal boss Arteta has already been told how he could get the best from the 28-year-old.

"He played his favourite position ten with us relatively seldom, he can play a great eight and a really great left wing", Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp told Kicker last August.

"Because he is "strong enough in small spaces, but also absolutely fast enough for large spaces.

"Since Alessandro del Piero, who fired the balls into the corner from similar positions, I have not seen anyone do the same thing in this one Frequency, pulling inward from the left in closing actions."

Wenger's opinion

Coutinho forced through that move to the Nou Camp from Anfield, losing plenty of support on Merseyside for how he went about the deal.

Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was also critical of the Brazilian for the way he went about the transfer.

Wenger has not said much about Coutinho on record but Arsenal found themselves in a similar position to Liverpool around the same time in regards to their own players.

Fans excited

Coutinho came on in the 75th minute of the game against Barcelona and got himself on the scoresheet twice in a brilliant 8-2 victory for the Bundesliga side.

The winger's two goals came within four minutes of each other, coming in the 85th and 89th minutes.

And the goals certainly caught the eyes of watching Arsenal fans.

Arsenal 'propose formula' for transfer

Reports in Spain claim that Arsenal are looking to push through a move for Coutinho, with the Gunners proposing a formula for the Barcelona man.

Mundo Deportivo claim that Arsenal have offered to take the player on loan with a option to purchase next summer, similar to the deal that Bayern Munich struck last year.

However, it also claims that Barcelona are unwilling to accept that offer straight away with the Catalan club looking to sell the Brazilian in order to raise funds.

Therefore it may be a matter of playing the waiting game for Arsenal, although Coutinho is keen on moving back to the Premier League, putting the Gunners in prime position to complete a deal.

The forward is proven in the League, having impressed for Liverpool before his move to the Nou Camp.

Barca twist

Following last Friday night's humiliating 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich - the club Coutinho is currently on loan at - Barcelona have made the decision to sack manager Quique Setien.

His departure means that Barcelona, who are poised to appoint former Southampton and Everton boss Ronald Koeman as his replacement, are set to start afresh next season, meaning Coutinho could get the chance to resurrect his career at the La Liga giants.

That is according to a report by Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo.

Barcelona looked certain to offload the midfielder once again this summer, but a new manager will mean fresh ideas and potentially a gateway for Coutinho to get his Barcelona career back on track.

Koeman verdict

Arsenal are one of the clubs who have reportedly been offered the chance to sign Coutinho on loan, with Gunners boss Mikel Arteta looking to add creativity to his squad, but the arrival of Koeman could change the situation.

Whilst in charge of Everton in 2017, Koeman was asked on his opinion of Coutinho, with the player linked with a move to Barcelona at the time.

And the Dutchman was hugely complimentary of the Brazilian midfielder, which could potentially see Arsenal miss out on the player.

Barcelona's stance

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has handed Arsenal a Philippe Coutinho transfer update.

Ronald Koeman has now been appointed Barcelona manager on a two-year deal and Bartomeu has revealed the Dutchman will have the final say on Coutinho’s future.

"The head coach will make the decision," he said. "If he wants him to continue, next year he will play with us."

Coutinho update

Coutinho continues to be linked with Arsenal, but the Brazilian has insisted he has not thought about his future as Bayern Munich prepare for the Champions League final.

He said: "My mind is fully focused on the competition. It’s a unique opportunity for us.

"I’m very happy to be in the Champions League final.

"On my future, I haven’t thought about it because I’m only thinking about the final."

Coutinho issues update following UCL final

Following his final game for Bayern Munich on Sunday evening, which saw them defeat Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 in the UEFA Champions League in Lisbon, Coutinho has now addressed his future, with a return to Barcelona now imminent.

Following Koeman's appointment as manager last week, there is a chance that the former Liverpool midfielder will be offered a chance to resurrect his career at the Spanish heavyweights.

However, the Brazilian has admitted that he doesn't know what his future holds, refusing to rule out the prospect of sealing a move to the Emirates Stadium this summer.

Coutinho said: “I haven't thought [about it]," Coutinho said. "Now I have to go back to Barcelona; I want to work hard to have a great year.

"I don't know if it will be there [Barca] but I want to work hard."

Coutinho wants Premier League move as Lionel Messi tells Barcelona he wants out

According to Marca, Philippe Coutinho is more interested in returning to the Premier League than playing for Barcelona for next season.

The report claims one of the possible destinations is Arsenal, with Coutinho's agent Kia Joorabchian maintaining an excellent relationship with the Gunners, but Barca boss Ronald Koeman will hold talks next week.

Elsewhere, Coutinho's future could be complicated by Lionel Messi telling Barcelona that he wants to leave the club.

Barcelona decide to grant Coutinho extra time off

Arsenal transfer target Philippe Coutinho missed Barcelona’s training session on Monday.

The midfielder has been given some extra time off by the club due to his involvement in the Champions League final just a couple of weeks ago.

Reports suggest that new Barca boss Ronald Koeman will give the former Liverpool man a chance to make his mark.

Arsenal are said to be keen on bringing him to the Emirates this summer with some claims that personal terms have even been agreed.