Chelsea could sign Barcelona outcast Philippe Coutinho
According to Spanish publication Sport (h/t Express), Chelsea could sign Barcelona star Philippe Coutinho in a player plus cash deal.
The 27-year-old has been identified as an option as Frank Lampard seeks to bolster his attacking options.
Coutinho is surplus to requirements at the Nou Camp. So much so that just a season and a half since joining the club for a record fee, he was loaned out to Bayern Munich.
The Bundesliga champions had the option of taking him on permanently for £89million. However, they chose not to activate the clause and the player is set to return to Catalonia.
Barcelona are keen to recoup the £142m paid to Liverpool for the player. But they are aware that it will be a tough ask considering the financial uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus crisis.
Another loan move for Coutinho had been touted as a potential option, with Barca cashing in on him next summer.
According to the report, Barcelona are willing to let him leave for around £44.5m-£53.5m if a player is also included in the deal. The Catalans would ideally prefer to get a player who is a specialist in defence and can play at left-back or centre-back.
Chelsea stars Emerson Palmieri and Marcos Alonso are considered surplus to requirements. Either of them could be used in a deal. But the former looks to be on his way to Juventus. (h/t Express)
Kurt Zouma is another player who can be included in the deal, with his future at Stamford Bridge far from certain. (h/t Express)
Coutinho is a far cry from the player who starred for Liverpool. Soon to be 28, he still remains a classy individual who can thrive in the right system.
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Having already signed Hakim Ziyech, Chelsea are also chasing Kai Havertz while also being in pole position for Timo Werner.
Adding Coutinho to the mix would make our attack a daunting proposition to face. Whether we actually make a move for the Brazilian or not remains to be seen.
