Arsenal have tasked Raul Sanllehi with bringing Philippe Coutinho to the Emirates Stadium, according to Mundo Deportivo.
Sanllehi is reportedly a big fan of Coutinho, and actually pushed for Barcelona to sign him while he was at the Nou Camp.
The Arsenal transfer chief is said to know the player well, which could swing the balance of power in the Gunners’ favour.
Arsenal are in a battle with a number of clubs for Coutinho, and the deal is highly problematic.
The Brazilian is on a huge contract at Barca, which means he would have to take a pay cut to join Arsenal.
The Gunners also are unlikely to be able to afford his transfer fee, with Barca looking for around £77 million for him (Daily Express).
Arsenal could try and agree to a loan deal, but whether Barca would sanction such a move remains to be seen.
If Coutinho was brought to Arsenal he would add creativity and quality at the North London club.
Coutinho was one of the standout players in the Premier League with Liverpool during his last spell with England and if he could recreate that sort of form he would be a wonderful addition to Mikel Arteta’s squad.
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