Barcelona star Philippe Coutinho is pushing for a move to Manchester United in the summer; it has been claimed.
According to Mirror, the Brazilian has contacted many of the United stars regarding the possibility of a summer move to Old Trafford.
However, the Red Devils could face competition from PSG in the pursuit of Coutinho, who could cost around £100 million.
Philippe Coutinho: The missing piece in the jigsaw for Manchester United
Following a promising start to his career at Barcelona, it hasn’t exactly been the best of seasons for Philippe Coutinho, who has constantly struggled with lack of game-time this campaign.
The Brazilian international has moved down the pecking order in the Barcelona attack, with coach Ernesto Valverde often opting for Ousmane Dembele ahead of him in the starting lineup. In fact, Coutinho has featured in a little over 1,500 minutes of league football this season, which is highly unacceptable for a player of his calibre.
And even when Coutinho has received a chance to impress, he has often looked off the pace and somewhat, a misfit, in Valverde’s tactical philosophy at Barcelona. But, the former Liverpool star can be an excellent addition to the Manchester United setup for a number of reasons.
The Red Devils have enjoyed an excellent run of form under interim coach Ole-Gunnar Solskjaer, but the team has often appeared overreliant on the services of Paul Pogba in terms of creativity. And with Juan Mata failing to make an impact in the first-team, the addition of Coutinho could possibly revamp the creative department for United next season.
The 26-year-old already has a vast amount of experience in the Premier League, having featured in over 150 league games for Liverpool, meaning he shouldn’t require any time to settle into the new conditions. In case of a possible move, there will certainly be positional tweaks to be made by the manager given his penchant of playing from the left side of midfield, but Ole has shown that he is more than ready to operate in multiple formations ever since he moved to Old Trafford as an interim manager.
But most importantly, it will be his excellent technical quality that could tune in well with the attacking brand of football Solskjaer has introduced upon his arrival at the helm.
Coutinho’s ability to find defence-threading through passes will be beneficial for the pacy attackers United have in the likes of Rashford and Martial. In addition, the 26-year-old is extremely good on the ball, meaning he can be utilized as a ball carrier, who will certainly ease United’s transition from midfield to attack thus reducing the massive pressure on Pogba to an extent.
But, the Brazilian international is also capable of scoring from long-range as well as being effective from set-pieces, making him a viable target for the Red Devils as they aim to make a push for the title next season.
