Barcelona are determined not to let Philippe Coutinho leave on the cheap and are aiming for a cash-plus-player deal that incorporates Arsenal’s Matteo Guendouzi.
Barcelona are have told Arsenal that if they want Philippe Coutinho they need to table an offer of Matteo Guendouzi plus £45.5m. Coutinho’s £142m dream move has gone up in flames and Nou Camp chiefs are looking at ways to shift him off the wage bill.
According to French outlet Foot Mercato, the Spanish giants are prepared to let the former Liverpool star move to the Emirates in a player-plus-cash deal, with Guendouzi going the other way.
Guendouzi has fallen out with Gunners boss Mikel Arteta over a series of disciplinary incidents and his future at the club looks uncertain. Arteta is a fan of Coutinho but trying to fund his £240,000-per-week wages as well as the transfer fee could prove a big stumbling block.
Negotiations are said to be progressing well, but, if Coutinho cannot be included in a deal, Barca are offering midfielders Ivan Rakitic and Arturo Vidal in exchange for Guendouzi instead.
The north Londoners are financially struggling after missing out on the Champions League for the fourth season in a row.
Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey is high on Arteta’s wanted list but the manager is also in need of a central defender.
Shkodran Mustafi injured his hamstring in Arsenal’s FA Cup semi-final win over Manchester City a week ago and Arteta has confirmed it’s not good news.
“It looks really nasty,” said Arsenal’s head coach. “He pulled the tendon off the bone in his hamstring and that’s normally a lot of weeks.”
When asked if that means he will miss the start of the 2020/21 campaign, which gets underway on September 12, Arteta added: “Yes, he will.”
It’s clear from Arteta’s point of view he’s keen for him to stay though.
“He’s a player who can play in many different positions, we have discussed the things in my opinion that he can improve or adapt to his game because he has incredible quality,” Arteta said last week.
“He has every quality that you need to be a football player to play the highest level and he just needs to do it in a little bit more of a consistent way, but he is someone who can adapt to any position as well.”
