It’s no secret that Philippe Coutinho’s career since leaving Liverpool has hit a huge downward spiral. In a matter of two years, the Brazilian has gone from being a club icon, to struggling to find a team that will take him on a permanent basis.
As his dream move to Barcelona becomes a distant memory, his next home is very much a grey area. Currently at Bayern Munich on loan, it looks like his next destination will be a return to England as several Premier League teams have registered their interest. It was rumoured that Liverpool would re-sign their long lost player, but talks soon fizzled out.
According to Sport, rivals Manchester United are keen on Coutinho, along with his former manager Brendan Rodgers and new team Leicester. London clubs Chelsea and Tottenham are also reportedly looking into the ex-Red. But perhaps the most unexpected of all to be in the running is Everton.
However, despite the Toffees being a surprise party in the mix, the notion isn’t as entirely unlikely as it sounds.
Under the reign of Carlo Ancelotti, Everton look set to revamp their squad and start challenging in the league once more. The manager’s Italian links have seen the club reportedly in talks with the likes of Ciro Immobile and Andrea Belotti (Tuttosport via Daily Mail), but his lure could stretch beyond Italy.
According to Bleacher Report’s Dean Jones, the Blues are interested in Coutinho, who is valued at £50.4m, and a loan move to Merseyside could be a likely option.
Whether on a permanent or temporary deal, business between Coutinho and Everton could be beneficial for both sides. As the Toffees plan to overhaul a lot of deadwood players this season, it opens up doors for Ancelotti to enjoy the summer transfer window.
An area of concern for the Merseyside outfit this term has been their stagnant midfield. Between all active midfielders this season, Everton have created just four combined league goals which simply isn’t good enough for a side who want to be competing in Europe. Gylfi Sigurdsson, in particular, has come under a lot of scrutiny for his woeful performances in the middle of the park.
Known to be prolific in both midfield and on the wing – another area stretched thin in Everton’s ranks – Coutinho could bring a completely new type of attack to the table. After spending five years in the Premier League, including Liverpool’s narrow title miss, the Brazilian should settle almost immediately.
Not only would Coutinho bring experience and proven goalscoring abilities to Everton, but there’s a high chance Ancelotti would build the team around him. For a player with 95 career goals and 71 assists, it would be foolish not to utilise his ability. The 27-year-old would be an almost guaranteed ever-present name on the team sheet, and after three seasons of inconsistency, the faith would be an extremely welcome gift for Coutinho.
However, if Everton want to increase their talks, they must drive a better deal than Chelsea, who have reportedly been offered the Brazilian’s services, according to Sky Sports.