Barcelona is shopping Philippe Coutinho this summer, but Chelsea should stay away for many reasons.
The Barcelona midfielder is currently on loan at Bayern Munich. The German club announced today that it would not exercise Coutinho’s option to buy. Therefore, the rumors of his Barcelona exit are ramping up.
Teams are beginning to show interest in a player who is likely to be shopped as the summer window nears. One of the parties interested in Coutinho’s services is Chelsea. However, the Blues should spend their money elsewhere this summer.
With the most pivotal transfer window in recent memory on the horizon, Chelsea does not need to be looking at players like Coutinho. The Brazilian is undoubtedly a talented footballer, but not a necessity for Chelsea. The Blues’ success next season does not hinge on Coutinho’s transfer to west London. In fact, the 27-year-old would be nothing but a luxury buy for the club.
Purchasing Coutinho would be a major gamble for the Blues. He turns 28 next month, so Chelsea would only get a few good years of the midfielder. That is, when Coutinho is even on the pitch. The Brazilian has missed 32 matches since the 2016/17 season with seven separate injuries. The inopportune timing of the injuries and constant knocks have prevented Coutinho from becoming the player he’s always been touted to be.
His big money move to Barcelona can largely be seen as a failure and with Bayern Munich failing to purchase him, the onus is back on the Spanish giants to offload him. The option to buy Coutinho in the Bayern Munich loan foreshadowed negotiations to come. After his £142 million transfer to Barcelona from Liverpool, the Blaugrana asked Bayern for nearly £110 million to buy him off loan. Thus, Chelsea would be paying a hefty fee to bring a then 28-year-old midfielder to the club.
A transfer that large for a talented—but not world class—player in a position where the Blues are already set would be brainless. Especially in a summer where money is going to be tight due to the aftermath of Coronavirus. Chelsea should not look at players like Coutinho. Instead, the Blues should seize the opportunity to buy players off of clubs who are struggling financially or in positions of need.
Chelsea sits in a position where the club is only a few key players away from title contention. Coutinho would strengthen the squad, but not put the Blues over the hump. Chelsea doesn’t need any short-term luxury purchase in its team. Instead, the club should turn to world class defenders or some help up front.