Aston Villa masterstroke facing ruin with Arsenal and West Ham ‘extremely interested’ in transfer hijack
Aston Villa could face stiff competition to land Philippe Coutinho on a permanent deal after a report deemed Arsenal and West Ham serious contenders.
The Brazilian, 29, has hit the ground running at Villa Park. Bringing Coutinho back to England was seen as something of a risk given the way in which his career had stalled since leaving Liverpool in 2018. The fact he also missed six months with a serious knee injury last season also raised doubts.
Nonetheless, Steven Gerrard took the gamble, and it already appears to be something of a masterstroke.
Villa are paying £125,000 of Coutinho’s £380,000 weekly wages while on his six-month loan from Barcelona. It had been reported a £33m option to buy was included for the summer, though it later transpired that amount was not fixed.
That led to the Birmingham Mail claiming a deal could in fact be forged for around £25m. Barcelona’s desperation to rid Coutinho’s colossal salary from their books has put them in a weak bargaining position.
However, according to Goal (citing the Spanish press), fierce competition is now expected from Arsenal and West Ham.
Barcelona won’t play favourites over Coutinho
It’s stated the pair are both ‘extremely interested’ in hijacking a Villa move in the summer. For their part, Barcelona do not mind who they sell to. Given their financial woes, the outlet states they will sell to the team that ‘pays better’.
Given the Gerrard connection, common sense would dictate Villa remain the favourites. However, if they are unwilling to bid higher than their rivals, or offer as big of a contract, the door could be left ajar.
Arsenal could be in desperate need of firepower in the summer if Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah both leave via free agency.
West Ham do have plenty of options in the wide forwards, with Said Benrahma, Pablo Fornals, Jarrod Bowen, Andriy Yarmolenko and Nikola Vlasic on the books.
However, few could argue Coutinho isn’t an upgrade on each of those players besides the red-hot Bowen.
Predicting where Erling Haaland will end up this summer – Man Utd, Man City, Chelsea?
Arsenal options extend to £50m-rated flyer
Meanwhile, Arsenal are fixing their gaze on AC Milan forward Rafael Leao as they seek to revamp their forward line, though Newcastle could torpedo their plans, per a report.
The latest from the Sun puts Arsenal in the frame for 22-year-old Portuguese winger Rafael Leao.
He is enjoying his best season to date at AC Milan. Leao has bagged 10 goals and six assists across all competitions at the San Siro. Those contributions have helped the Rossoneri ascend to the summit of the Serie A table at present.
The newspaper state Arsenal have taken note, and citing the Spanish press, claim they ‘hope to secure a deal’ in the summer. Prior approaches from Everton and Wolves saw a £50m price tag quoted. However, it’s conceivable AC would come to the table for less.
Nevertheless, Arsenal are unlikely to have a free run at Leao next summer – assuming Newcastle beat the drop.
The Sun add Leao is a target for the Magpies. They’re expected to splash the cash to greater effect if their Premier League status is secured this season.
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