Leicester City could make a shock move for Barcelona attacker Philippe Coutinho. The Brazilian has had a terrible run with the Catalan side since moving from Liverpool for a fee of £142 million in 2018.
As per Mundo Deportivo, Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers is interested in bringing Coutinho to Leicester City, with the report claiming a fee of €20 million or a loan deal.
Barcelona are keen on getting Coutinho off their books as they are currently struggling financially. Rodgers has previously managed the Brazilian and signed him while he was in charge of Liverpool.
Coutinho has two years remaining on his current Barcelona contract deal. In 90 appearances for the Spanish Primera Liga side, he has scored 23 goals and assisted 14 times.
Philippe Coutinho – The player Leicester City need to progress further?
Philippe Coutinho‘s dream move to Barcelona hasn’t turned out the way he – or his fans – would have wanted. The Brazilian has struggled at the club, and with Barca in deep trouble financially, some of their first-team players are up for sale.
Coutinho was sensational at Liverpool, where he created chances, scored aplenty, and became a fan-favourite. The Reds have gone on to become a force in Europe and domestically, but Coutinho’s fortunes have been diametrically opposite to his former club.
A return to the Premier League could be a good move for the Brazilian and a spell under his former manager Brendan Rodgers could perhaps help him back to his old form. The Foxes have improved significantly under Rodgers, despite not qualifying for the Champions League after being in a strong position to do so. The addition of a star like Coutinho could perhaps help them qualify consistently to the Champions League.
Coutinho is a clever attacker who has the skill to dribble past players, while also possessing the ability to thread balls into the striker or even take shots on goal. The Brazilian’s experience and genius to create something out of nothing could be the x-factor they need for the tricky games.
Rodgers tweaked his formation quite a bit last season, where he played a three-man or four-man defence, played with a No. 10 or two centre-forwards, and a few other systems.
The Ulsterman could change his system to include a No. 10 if they sign Coutinho. The Foxes manager has a talented midfield, which has a few creative and exciting youngsters like Youri Tielemans, James Maddison and Harvey Barnes.
The experience of a player like Coutinho could perhaps help Leicester to get through the final hurdle and will also add depth to his squad. Rodgers knows all that Coutinho will bring to a team and he could perhaps extract the best out of the Brazilian.