Arsenal are in advanced talks with Barcelona to sign outcast Philippe Coutinho as Mikel Arteta closes-in on a double swoop also involving Willian, according to a report in the Express.
Arteta needs to add some creativity to his squad this summer as the Gunners lacked ideas in the final third at times this season with Mesut Ozil frozen out of the first team set-up since football returned back in June.
Coutinho has emerged as a serious target in recent weeks and the Express are citing a report from Sport that claims Arsenal are now in advanced negotiations with Barcelona over a deal to sign the playmaker.
It’s not made clear in the report whether it will be a loan or a permanent transfer but the Spanish outlet does confirm that Barcelona are desperate to offload Coutinho this summer and Arsenal are working hard to get a deal agreed.
The 28-year-old has struggled to replicate the kind of form he showed at Liverpool before making a £142m move to the Nou Camp in 2018 but there is no doubting his quality so Arsenal fans should be excited about the Brazilian’s potential arrival.
Coutinho spent last season on loan at Bayern Munich where he helped secure the Bundesliga title and he still has the knockout stages of the Champions League to look forward to this month.
However, he’s due to return to Barcelona after the competition ends and with the Catalans making it clear he has no future at the club, agent Kia Joorabchian is seemingly working on a possible move to the Emirates.
Joorabchian has grown close with the Arsenal hierarchy having already brokered deals for David Luiz and Cedric Soares and the Express says another one of his clients, Willian, is also closing in on a move to north London.
Willian is out of contract after rejecting Chelsea’s two-year offer of an extension and the newspaper is one of several outlets suggesting that the winger is set to join Arsenal after being offered a three-year deal by the Gunners.
The Brazilian, who turns 32 next week, has just enjoyed one of his most productive seasons in a Chelsea shirt and is showing no sign of slowing down so he would be an excellent addition to Arsenal’s young squad.
ESPN Brazil claims a move to north London could be announced soon – presumably once Chelsea’s exit from the Champions League is confirmed – so we shouldn’t have to wait too much longer before this deal is done.
So it looks like Arsenal are closing-in on two exciting signings as the South American duo would add a huge amount of experience and quality to their attack if Arteta could get these two deals over the line.
