Report: Arsenal and Everton two possible destinations for £163k-a-week star

Add as preferred source on Google

Arsenal and Everton have been named by Sport as two possible destinations for Philippe Coutinho, with Xavi open to letting the Brazilian leave during the January transfer window.

Not a window seems to go by without Coutinho being linked with a Premier League return. He has endured a torrid time since moving to Camp Nou.

He has not played in either of Barca’s last two La Liga games. In fact, he has not featured for longer than 75 minutes in a single league or Champions League game this term.

Unsurprisingly, Xavi would welcome the chance to offload the 29-year-old. Previous reports have suggested that he is earning £163,000-a-week in Catalonia.

And Sport has named the Gunners and the Toffees as two possible destinations. It is noted that he could leave permanently or on loan.

Arsenal much more likely for Philippe Coutinho than Everton, but both clubs should steer clear

Everton offering Coutinho an escape route is incredibly difficult to imagine. Of course, it has never sat well with Toffees fans that they appointed a former Liverpool boss in Rafa Benitez in the summer.

So targeting a former Reds playmaker such as Coutinho is unlikely to be a popular move. Presumably, he would eat up a large chunk of their budget – if a move is even feasible. Everton have also not had much success when signing players previously deemed world-class once their careers have been in decline.

For those reasons, a move to Arsenal seems slightly more likely. The Gunners seem to have the ability to spend more. And signing a player who featured for their main rivals would not be a problem for Arsenal.

Having said that, a move would still not capture the imagination of Arsenal fans. Mikel Arteta’s men are in a fantastic place right now. And they have built a squad full of hungry, young players.

Reverting to previous transfer strategies and signing Coutinho would therefore, disappoint many.