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Arsenal have reportedly been 'offered' Philippe Coutinho by FC Barcelona this summer, as per reports. The Gunners are already said to have a deal in place for former Chelsea star Willian, who is expected to move to the Emirates Stadium shortly.
Mikel Arteta's Arsenal suffered their worst-ever league finish since the turn of the century after a terrible start to the season under Unai Emery. The Spanish coach was sacked and replaced by his compatriot Arteta, who has worked wonders with the little time and resources available to him.
After an upturn in fortunes, notably winning the FA Cup and qualifying for the UEFA Europa League, the Arsenal board is set to back the manager in the transfer window.
Willian a 'done deal', Arsenal yet to decide on Coutinho
As per reputed football journalist Fabrizio Romano, Willian to Arsenal is a 'done deal' and is only pending an announcement from the club and player.
On the other hand, Romano claims that Arsenal have been given the opportunity to sign Philippe Coutinho this summer, with the club yet to decide on the Brazilian.
Coutinho has endured a nightmare spell since he departed from Anfield. The former Liverpool star went to Barcelona to fulfil a childhood dream, but it has been anything but a dream move for him. The 28-year-old failed to convince the Blaugrana with his performances and quickly fell out of favour at the Nou Camp.
He was then sent out on loan by Barcelona and joined Bayern Munich on a year-long loan with an option to purchase. However, the Bavarians have opted against an outright purchase of the talented playmaker, due to which Coutinho is set to return to Spain.
Barcelona are actively looking to offload the Brazilian, with Arsenal being tipped to be a realistic destination for Coutinho. The Catalans paid a staggering £105m for his services, which could rise further to a figure of £142m with bonus clauses. Should the Gunners decide to purchase him, they would reunite the 28-year-old with his compatriot Willian. Super-agent Kia Joorabchian is already in negotiations to find his superstar client a new club.
Although Arsenal are expected to sign Willian on a free, the hold-up could be related to the widespread backlash they received due to a statement released by the club last Wednesday. The Gunners announced that they have made up to 55 jobs at Arsenal redundant due to the economic losses inflicted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Apart from Coutinho and Willian, the FA Cup winners are reportedly targeting a centre-back as well, with Lille's Gabriel Magalhaes being a priority target. Thomas Partey of Atletico Madrid has also been touted to be Arsenal's priority target in midfield, with Fabrizio Romano also confirming their interest in the Ghanian superstar.
Also read: Arsenal join Spurs in the race for Ligue 1 midfielder Morgan Sanson
