Chelsea offered chance to sign South American star but Arsenal & Tottenham also keen

Chelsea have been offered the opportunity to sign Philippe Coutinho this summer but could yet face competition from the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham, according to the Mirror.

Coutinho made his name in England during an excellent six-year spell at Liverpool before making a £142m move to Barcelona in 2018 but his time at the Nou Camp turned into something of a nightmare.

The South American attacking midfielder struggled to settle in Spain and after being jeered by sections of his own fans at times last season, Coutinho eventually joined Bayern Munich on loan last summer.

The 27-year-old has enjoyed a solid campaign in the Bundesliga as he’s contributed 9 goals and 8 assists in his 32 appearances in all competitions but it may not be enough to secure a permanent switch to Germany.

Bayern Munich are unlikely to activate their option to make Coutinho’s loan switch permanent this summer and the Mirror claims the Brazilian international could now be heading for a return to England.

The newspaper says Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham are among the clubs being linked with a move for the playmaker and Coutinho could be keen on reviving his career back in the Premier League.

Arsenal are expected to be in the market for another attacking midfielder amid on-going doubts surrounding the future of Mesut Ozil while Jose Mourinho is being tipped to strengthen his squad after a difficult start to life as Tottenham manager.

It appears Coutinho is on the north London duo’s radar, however, Chelsea have seemingly stolen a march on their rivals as the Mirror says Barcelona have now offered the Blues the chance to sign the player this summer.

Frank Lampard has already got a deal in place to sign Hakim Ziyech from Ajax and with Willian and Pedro expected to leave Stamford Bridge, the Chelsea boss could be in the market for another attacker.

Coutinho would certainly be an exciting signing for any of the clubs being linked but the Mirror says Barcelona will still demand ‘a huge fee’ so the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal or Spurs will have to dig deep if they want to sign the former Liverpool star.