Philippe Coutinho could be set for a return to the Premier League, that is if Sport are to be believed. According to the Spanish outlet (via Metro), Chelsea have made contact with the player’s representatives and have also held talks with Barcelona about a loan move.
Coutinho, who is currently spending the season at Bayern Munich, has seen his stock drop massively. The 27-year-old has seen his market valuation on Transfermarkt drop from £135m in October 2018 to £63m now, which he can have no complaints about.
After all, he only managed five goals and two assists in 34 La Liga appearances last term, a return that is simply not good enough for a player who cost Barcelona over £140m. That being said, this still feels like too much of a good opportunity for Chelsea to turn down.
Coutinho would be an upgrade on pretty much every attacker Frank Lampard currently has at his disposal, while the Brazilian’s form has also picked up following that rough spell at the Camp Nou. He has already beaten his goal and assist tallies from 2018/19, scoring eight goals and assisting a further six from 22 appearances for Bayern Munich in the current Bundesliga campaign.
It sees him come out on top in a head-to-head against Chelsea’s Mason Mount, who has found the back of the net on six occasions and provided for a team-mate on four after making 29 league appearances.
And if he can recapture his Liverpool form, then the Blues could really end up hitting the jackpot. In that final season at Anfield, the Brazil international was truly exceptional. He was managing averages of just under three when it came to key passes and dribbles made per league game (via WhoScored), averages no Chelsea attacker has reached this term.
So while Coutinho’s stock may be falling, and understandably so, it does not mean that he would be a terrible signing — in fact, he would probably be anything but.