Arsenal have demanded that Philippe Coutinho slashes his lucrative Barcelona salary by ‘a lot’ if the Brazilian wants to join during the January transfer window, according to Sport.
The Gunners are among a clutch of clubs considering signing the midfielder this month, as the Blaugrana search for offers. Barcelona have so far struggled to drum up interest in the 29-year-old given his wage. He has also had a considerable lack of form at the Camp Nou.
Coutinho has only scored twice and is yet to offer an assist in his 16 appearances this term. He has also played just 608-minutes and started five of his outings across all competitions.
Barcelona and Coutinho are seeking a solution that can see the former Liverpool playmaker return to the Premier League. The La Liga giants’ £142m signing from January 2018 has also made it clear he will not cause any inconvenience in their attempt to offload him, either.
But Coutinho wants a say in who he joins, which may be Arsenal after they determined the conditions for Barcelona. He does not want a return to Brazil or embark on an exotic track.
Arsenal determine transfer conditions for Barcelona and Coutinho
Coutinho’s aim is to return to England or Italy if he leaves Barcelona, and Arsenal may grant his transfer wish. But the Gunners have set firm criteria he and the Blaugrana must accept.
The Emirates Stadium natives only want to acquire the 64-cap maestro on loan without any obligations to buy. They also demand he slashes his wage or Barcelona agree to cover some during his temporary spell in north London.
Arsenal are open to discussing an option to buy Coutinho for a low fee with Barcelona. But he must reduce his salary by ‘a lot’ to complete a permanent switch at the end of the term.
Mikel Arteta’s side have an excellent rapport with Coutinho’s agent, Kia Joorabchian, which could aid negotiations. Barcelona were also open to paying half of his €9m-a-year (£145k-a-week) wage after tax last summer during negotiations with Lazio, per Gazzetta dello Sport.
Clock ticking for Arteta to seal Coutinho arrival
But the clock is ticking for Arsenal to sign Coutinho, as the Mirror claim Barcelona have set a deadline of this Wednesday for the Gunners to give them an answer for his transfer.
Barcelona would also prefer to sell Coutinho for £7.5m now than wait for Arsenal to turn a loan transfer permanent for £5m plus add-ons come the summer. Yet even the low fee and the praise Jurgen Klopp has voiced previously may not outweigh his lucrative salary.
“Amazing player, we really didn’t want to let him go. Barca forced us financially,” Klopp told Sport Bild, via quotes by the Mirror, in 2019. “World-class player.”
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