Tottenham 'firmly in Philippe Coutinho transfer race' amid Arsenal and Chelsea links, says Paul Robinson
Paul Robinson believes Tottenham are firmly in the race to sign former Liverpool star Philippe Coutinho.
Coutinho has had an indifferent season on loan at Bayern Munich, who have confirmed they will not take up the option to sign him permanently this summer.
Parent club Barcelona are keen to offload him to boost their transfer kitty and had set his asking price at €80million before the coronavirus pandemic put a strain on financial resources.
It means Barca may have to drop that price to push through a deal, with a number of Premier League clubs reportedly interested in pursuing the Brazil international.
He scored 20 Premier League goals in his last 18 months in the top flight but has since failed to recapture that form at Camp Nou. However, Robinson believes Spurs are well-positioned to bring him back to England, beating off reported interest from London rivals Chelsea and Arsenal.
“The market will take a hit but there will still be movement of players. I can still see the Coutinho deal being done," Robinson told Football Insider.
“Bayern have not taken the option and he has clearly not been part of Barcelona’s plans for a while now and I can see a move back to the Premier League happening. I think he would be a great signing for Spurs.
“I do not think he has settled since leaving the country and he is clearly a player that suits the Premier League. The league is stronger with him in it, certainly.”
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