MUNICH, GERMANY - MARCH 08: (BILD ZEITUNG OUT) Philippe Coutinho of Bayern Muenchen looks on during the Bundesliga match between FC Bayern Muenchen and FC Augsburg at Allianz Arena on March 8, 2020 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Roland Krivec/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
Arsenal: Every single reason why Philippe Coutinho is a bad idea
by Josh Sippie
Arsenal, Philippe Coutinho (Photo by Roland Krivec/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
Arsenal is ridiculously tied to Philippe Coutinho yet again, so let’s just go ahead and dig into every single reason why this is a terrible idea.
Arsenal has had a shocking amount of ridiculous transfer rumors circulating lately, and a new one has just hit the news. Against all odds, Philippe Coutinho, currently on the books at Bayern Munich, has found himself yet again linked to a move to the Emirates, just like has pretty much every single year going back to his time at Liverpool.
To be completely fair, Coutinho is having a good year at Bayern Munich. In just under 1400 minutes of play, he’s managed eight goals and six assists. That’s mighty impressive from the Brazilian, and it’s reflective of his controversial time at Liverpool.
And also to be fair, the Gunners do need a creative midfielder to fill in for a hopefully departing Mesut Ozil. Someone has to create chances, and Coutinho does that pretty well.
But even with all that fairness going around, signing Philippe Coutinho remains a horrible idea, and it’s one that is easy to dismiss. Here are all the reasons signing Coutinho is a terrible idea.
7. Liverpool scraps
I understand that you can’t abstain from signing rival players just because they’re rival players, but I really don’t understand the fascination with rumors linking Arsenal to all these former Chelsea, Liverpool, United players. I’m sick of Chris Smalling, Willian, Jesse Lingard rumors and I’m sorry, but for as good as Coutinho can be, he fits in the same mold. For the same reasons I frown at links to Smalling, I frown at links to Coutinho. And while this is just one small piece of why this is a bad idea, we will get into many, many more.
Coutinho’s sale was a huge piece of Liverpool’s boost to success and I just don’t want to bother with him if we don’t absolutely need to and, spoiler alert, we don’t!
On to the next bad reason.
Arsenal has had a shocking amount of ridiculous transfer rumors circulating lately, and a new one has just hit the news. Against all odds, <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/04/17/arsenal-philippe-coutinho-bad-idea/"https://fbref.com/en/players/0ef89a37/Philippe-Coutinho?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Philippe Coutinho</a>, currently on the books at Bayern Munich, has found himself yet again linked to a move to the Emirates, just like has pretty much every single year going back to his time at Liverpool.</p>
<p>To be completely fair, Coutinho is having a good year at Bayern Munich. In just under 1400 minutes of play, he’s managed eight goals and six assists. That’s mighty impressive from the Brazilian, and it’s reflective of his controversial time at Liverpool.</p>
<p>And also to be fair, the Gunners do need a creative midfielder to fill in for a hopefully departing <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/04/17/arsenal-philippe-coutinho-bad-idea/"https://fbref.com/en/players/16380240/Mesut-Ozil?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Mesut Ozil</a>. Someone has to create chances, and Coutinho does that pretty well.</p>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="light" data-text="3 Points For Jovic, 3 For Edouard" data-url="https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/04/15/arsenal-3-luka-jovic-odsonne-edouard/" data-call-to-action="Related Story"> <div class="story-link-related"> <a class="story-link-related-btn" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="story-link-related-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/04/17/arsenal-philippe-coutinho-bad-idea/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/04/15/arsenal-3-luka-jovic-odsonne-edouard/"> <span class="call_to_action">Related Story:</span> 3 Points For Jovic, 3 For Edouard </a> </div>
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<p>But even with all that fairness going around, signing Philippe Coutinho remains a horrible idea, and it’s one that is easy to dismiss. Here are all the reasons signing Coutinho is a terrible idea.</p>
<h3>7. Liverpool scraps</h3>
<p>I understand that you can’t abstain from signing rival players just because they’re rival players, but I really don’t understand the fascination with rumors linking Arsenal to all these former Chelsea, Liverpool, United players. I’m sick of <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/04/17/arsenal-philippe-coutinho-bad-idea/"https://fbref.com/en/players/b6964eb6/Chris-Smalling?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Chris Smalling</a>, Willian, <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/04/17/arsenal-philippe-coutinho-bad-idea/"https://fbref.com/en/players/810e3c74/Jesse-Lingard?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jesse Lingard</a> rumors and I’m sorry, but for as good as Coutinho can be, he fits in the same mold. For the same reasons I frown at links to Smalling, I frown at links to Coutinho. And while this is just one small piece of why this is a bad idea, we will get into many, many more.</p>
<p>Coutinho’s sale was a huge piece of Liverpool’s boost to success and I just don’t want to bother with him if we don’t absolutely need to and, spoiler alert, we don’t!</p>
<p>On to the next bad reason.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/04/17/arsenal-philippe-coutinho-bad-idea/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> 6. Why him? </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-100816" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/04/17/arsenal-philippe-coutinho-bad-idea/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1205048693.jpeg" alt="" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1205048693.jpeg 3200w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1205048693-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><p class="wp-caption-text">(Photo by Max Maiwald/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>6. We don’t need someone like him</h3>
<p>It’s true. Coutinho can be as good as you want, he can be as goal-happy as you want, but while Arsenal <em>do</em> need someone who creates chances, they don’t need someone like Coutinho. And I want to believe that <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/04/17/arsenal-philippe-coutinho-bad-idea/"https://fbref.com/en/players/d934d1e6/Mikel-Arteta?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Mikel Arteta</a> knows that as well.</p>
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<p>What Arsenal need is pretty clear and I’ve rehashed it so many times. They need centerbacks, central midfielders, some form of creating chances and, depending on who they sell, a striker or two.</p>
<p>Ideally, we can accomplish a central midfielder and creating chances in the same signing. Wouldn’t that be nice? Handcuffing ourselves to Coutinho severely limits our ability to accomplish those other needs. For money alone, but I’ll break that down more here in a second.</p>
<p>We want created chances from someone like <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/04/17/arsenal-philippe-coutinho-bad-idea/"https://fbref.com/en/players/c0617e2b/Dani-Ceballos?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Dani Ceballos</a> or <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/04/17/arsenal-philippe-coutinho-bad-idea/"https://fbref.com/en/players/e280527c/Marcel-Sabitzer?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Marcel Sabitzer</a>, who can also play the central role, establish a presence in the midfield and not be a constant liability to lose the ball or depend on so many extraneous factors.</p>
<p>Next up, another reason it’s a bad idea.</p>
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<h3>5. Loans don’t work like this</h3>
<p>According to the rumor, along with his astronomical price tag (more on that later), there is also the option to loan him with an option to buy. I spoke very highly of loans and, for the most part, I still do. It’s a chance to try out a product before you buy it. That’s great. Maybe we find out Coutinho doesn’t work out, we can just send him back. That’s great.</p>
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<p>But it also means we wasted more time plugging a gap that we knew needed to be plugged with a guy that wasn’t going to be a long-term solution anyway simply because he isn’t the right kind of player.</p>
<p>The reason why the Dani Ceballos loan worked (or would have worked) is that he’s a young player who fits the exact billing of what we need and who we wanted to see how well he could acclimate before we spent gobs of money on him.</p>
<p>It’s been a mixed bag, but for that reason, the loan is working. It’s giving us something to think about. Even if Coutinho thrives, I can’t imagine the logic in dumping tons of cash on him. Which, since we’re on the topic, let me just go ahead and stop beating around the bush and get to the point.</p>
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<h3>4. He’s too expensive</h3>
<p>This is probably the No. 1 reason not to sign Philippe Coutinho, but I’m putting it in the middle of this seemingly endless list because I keep alluding to it anyway.</p>
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<p>Coutinho would cost £75m. That’s a lot of money for a 27-year-old. We spent right about that sum on <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/04/17/arsenal-philippe-coutinho-bad-idea/"https://fbref.com/en/players/57e3f0c7/Nicolas-Pepe?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Nicolas Pepe</a> last year, so I’m not saying that we can’t afford Coutinho. I’m saying that we shouldn’t. Transfer fees like that are reserved for players that are going to revolutionize the club. I advocated for spending even more on <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/04/17/arsenal-philippe-coutinho-bad-idea/"https://fbref.com/en/players/fed7cb61/Kai-Havertz?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Kai Havertz</a> because Kai Havertz is Kai Havertz. He is the next great creative talent, one that can’t be missed.</p>
<p>Coutinho has been around the block. It’s not much of a determining factor, but it kind of is. With Pepe and hopefully with Havertz, these are guys that will drive the club forward for years to come. They will bud and grow with the club. Coutinho does not strike me as the same kind of impact signing.</p>
<p>Maybe it’s just because I’m not really excited about him like I was/am about Pepe and like I am about Havertz.</p>
<p>Moving on to more reason this is an awful idea.</p>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-100819" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/04/17/arsenal-philippe-coutinho-bad-idea/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1942,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1206349431.jpeg" alt="" width="3200" height="1942" srcset="https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1206349431.jpeg 3200w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1206349431-768x466.jpeg 768w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1206349431-268x162.jpeg 268w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><p class="wp-caption-text">(Photo by CHRISTOF STACHE/AFP via Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>3. Wages</h3>
<p>This ties back into a potential loan move, but also if we buy him, obviously. One of the big goals this coming summer is to make sure that we hack away at some of the crippling wages we’re dealing with. primarily Mesut Ozil and his £350,000 wages. <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/04/17/arsenal-philippe-coutinho-bad-idea/"https://fbref.com/en/players/d5dd5f1f/Pierre-Emerick-Aubameyang?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang</a> wants a raise, which, if we keep him, will necessitate Ozil leaving.</p><div class="widget fs_ads"> <div class="fs_ad_widget-ad" style="margin:0 auto; width: 300px;"> <div class="fs-ll-ad" data-ad-type="minutemedia_slideshow_inline_300x250__desktop__tablet" data-vendor="minutemedia">
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<p>Coutinho is currently making £240,000 at Bayern Munich and you can bet that he wouldn’t exactly be looking for a pay cut if he makes the move to Arsenal. If nothing else, he would be looking for a raise which, even if he gets as little as a £10,000 raise to level him at £250,000, is way too much money for us to be spending on this position. It’s the exact same problem we’re in right now with Ozil. Way too much of our wage structure is tied to a player who is so specific that it’s hard to get the most out of him.</p>
<p>Coutinho’s wages alone make this all pointless. Even if we loan him, we’re still making up hardly any ground in fixing the wage structure to bring him here. So yet again, this is a piss poor idea. But if you aren’t convinced yet, we have another reason why coming up.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/04/17/arsenal-philippe-coutinho-bad-idea/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> 2. Again, why him? </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-100820" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/04/17/arsenal-philippe-coutinho-bad-idea/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2138,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1204324441.jpeg" alt="" width="3200" height="2138" srcset="https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1204324441.jpeg 3200w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1204324441-768x513.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><p class="wp-caption-text">(Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>2. The midfield needs something specific</h3>
<p>There’s no denying that this midfield needs help, but it isn’t just a general call for help. There’s no “all interested midfielder need apply here.” We need something very, very specific. It probably can’t be accomplished in just one player, unless that one player is Marcel Sabitzer. Even then, we would probably want reinforcements.</p>
<p>The ideal solution is to get <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/04/17/arsenal-philippe-coutinho-bad-idea/"https://fbref.com/en/players/529f49ab/Thomas-Partey?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Thomas Partey</a> and get someone else as well, someone who creates chances but isn’t an Ozil (or Coutinho) type. We probably have around £75m to spend on this midfield altogether, and even that is being optimistic. We can’t dump it ll on Coutinho and solve like, 15% of our midfield problems.</p>
<p>Count on Thomas Partey. That’s £45m already. That means that, again, optimistically, we have £30m to invest in another midfielder with strength and presence who also creates chances. He can be a bit of a stretch, he can be an investment, but he absolutely cannot be Philippe Coutinho, who does a fraction of what this midfield specifically needs.</p>
<p>On to the next.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/04/17/arsenal-philippe-coutinho-bad-idea/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> 1. The master? </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-99630" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/04/17/arsenal-philippe-coutinho-bad-idea/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2309,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1210975926.jpeg" alt="Arsenal, Mesut Ozil" width="3200" height="2309" srcset="https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1210975926.jpeg 3200w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1210975926-768x554.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><p class="wp-caption-text">(Photo by Chloe Knott – Danehouse/Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>1. Mesut Ozil failed, so why would Coutinho succeed?</h3>
<p>Say that you’ve made it this far and you still think that what Arsenal needs more than anything else is a strictly attacking midfielder who will cost us most of our transfer budget. I have no idea why you’d think that, but say you do. Then why would Coutinho succeed in the role that Mesut Ozil failed at?</p>
<p>When we signed Mesut Ozil, he was the best No. 10 in the world. No doubt about it. He was supposed to change the fate of this club for the better and be the one missing piece we never had. In the five years that we’ve had him, however, he has had about six good, consistent months. Maybe a year.</p>
<p>Overall, he has not been able to make the role his permanent home because he hasn’t been able to do much more than his single objective and even now, that singular objective goes unfulfilled. So tell me what Coutinho has that Ozil doesn’t. He succeeded at Liverpool similarly to Ozil’s early years at Arsenal. There was promise and delivery, but longevity just wasn’t there. I don’t see why we’d swap one out for the other. The end product is the same.</p>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="dark" data-text="10 Step Summer Plan To Solve Team" data-url="https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/04/16/arsenal-10-step-summer-plan-solve-team/" data-call-to-action="Next"> <div class="story-link-next"> <a class="story-link-next-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="story-link-next-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/04/17/arsenal-philippe-coutinho-bad-idea/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/04/16/arsenal-10-step-summer-plan-solve-team/"> <span class="call_to_action">Next:</span> 10 Step Summer Plan To Solve Team </a> </div>
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<p>There you have it. All the reasons why this is a terrible idea. I’m always willing to hear more though.</p><!—pageview_candidate—>">
