Chelsea manager Frank Lampard is believed to be keen on signing Barcelona midfielder Philippe Coutinho, as the Blues have been strongly linked with a move for the former Liverpool star.
Barcelona are keen to offload Coutinho permanently this summer but are as well keen to recoup part of the £142m they paid to sign the Brazilian.
Bayern Munich who signed Coutinho last season on a loan deal refused to take up the option of signing the Brazilian permanently, and Coutinho is expected to rejoin Barcelona at the end of the season.
Bayern Munich opted against exercising their £107m option-to-buy clause in the playmaker’s loan agreement, and Coutinho is now believed to be valued around £70m – a figure not many clubs will be willing to pay, especially this post Covid-19 era.
According to claims from Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona have set a £9 million loan fee for Philippe Coutinho.
Previous reports have indicated that Barca don’t want a loan deal for Coutinho, except it’s tied with a compulsory permanent fee, which Chelsea haven’t agreed on.
Chelsea, Arsenal and Newcastle are the three clubs to have been linked with a move for Coutinho.