With the arrival of Antoine Griezmann and the possible return of Neymar, Philippe Coutinho appeared destined to leave Barcelona. The Premier League was talked up as his likeliest destination but a move to England appears to be out of the question now.
Rumors recently emerged linking the Brazilian with a loan move to England’s two biggest north London clubs: Arsenal and Tottenham. Apparently, the Catalan giants are ready to offer the former Liverpool star to the Premier League after falling out favor with the Blaugrana fans due to his inconsistency.
Spurs were rumored to be heavily interested in recruiting Coutinho. Christian Eriksen, who is entering the final year of his Tottenham contract, has one foot out the door and the recent Copa America winner would be an ideal replacement. However, both the player and his employers have rejected the idea of a loan move to Spurs, according to Sky Sports.
BREAKING: Barcelona midfielder Philippe Coutinho has turned down a loan move to Spurs
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) August 7, 2019
The reason: Coutinho and the Liga champions want a permanent solution to his future, meaning a permanent deal. The attacker was also heavily linked with a season-long loan to Arsenal with the option to buy next summer, with L’Equipe reporting that a deal was agreed despite Emery denying the rumors.
This likely means the Brazilian will not be heading back to England this summer. His $97M valuation puts him out of reach for Pochettino’s side especially given that their two preferred targets, Paulo Dybala and Bruno Fernandes, should cost less.
Coutinho’s future remains up in the air. With the transfer window shutting close on Thursday in England, a return to England now appears out of the question for the South American.
