Arsenal should reignite Philippe Coutinho interest, if Odegaard leaves this summer

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Arsenal face an interesting prospect this summer when it comes to player sales and recruitment, with a lot of work still to be done by Mikel Arteta and Edu.

The pair are clearly on a mission to ensure the club has the right players in the door to give Arteta the maximum chance at success. Last summer saw the likes of Partey and Gabriel arrive, while players such as Guendouzi, Torreira, and Ozil were shipped out.

In January, the Gunners moved to bring in Martin Odegaard. The Norwegian has proved a fine addition so far, settling in nicely in London and playing very well of late. However, question marks remain over whether that deal can be made permanent.

But Arsenal could have the chance to soften the blow of losing Odegaard by landing Philippe Coutinho. The Brazilian is apparently available for around £35m this summer, less than a third of the £142m Barcelona paid for him.

And with the Gunners having previous interest in the former Liverpool man, could Mikel Arteta relight the fire to try and sign Coutinho?

Coutinho a class act with more to give

Reports in the media claimed that Arsenal were close to signing Coutinho last summer. Of course, no deal ever came to fruition but with another summer on the horizon, talk is once again gathering pace.

Arsenal would need to find the money for Coutinho, both in terms of the fee and wages. He is reportedly earning around £250k-a-week, which would put him right up there with Arsenal’s biggest earners.

But this is a player who knows the Premier League. His form for Liverpool was exceptional and he’s shown flashes in Spain, albeit not on a regular enough basis.

Coutinho can play the ‘number ten’ role with ease. His ability to drift, beat men with ease, and score the spectacular, all things most fans of the Premier League will remember fondly.

If Odegaard does indeed stay in Madrid, then Arsenal should look to Los Blancos’ bitterest rivals and make their move for Coutinho.