Pochettino phones £142m star to convince him of move to Tottenham over Premier League rivals

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Tottenham are close to pulling off one of the signings of the summers, Spurs are ahead of their rivals in the race to sign this exciting world class star.

According to The Sun, Tottenham Hotspur are leading the race against their Premier League rivals Arsenal and Manchester United to sign Philipe Coutinho on loan from Barcelona this summer.

Sky Sports have also revealed that Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino has phoned the 27-year-old in a bid to convince him to move to north London before Thursday’s Premier League transfer deadline.

According to the Times, Tottenham have made a loan bid for the star’s services and Barcelona have demanded a fee in excess of £21m to part with the attacking midfielder.

The Times also report that the star is currently on a mammoth £200,000-a-week deal with the La Liga champions.

Pochettino has the upper hand over his rivals in securing Coutinho’s signature, the Argentine worked with Coutinho during the end of his spell as Espanyol’s manager.

News of Coutinho’s potential move to Tottenham comes just hours after French publication L’Equipe claimed that the star had agreed to join rivals Arsenal.

Le10 Sport also understand that Tottenham are in the ‘final phase’ of working out an agreement for Coutinho’s signature.

Coutinho’s career has gone downhill since he left Liverpool for the Camp Nou 18 months ago, the 27-year-old has failed to prove his worth after the Blaugrana splashed a staggering £142m, as per BBC Sport, to secure his services.

Coutinho has struggled to live up to expectations since his big-money move to Barcelona.

Coutinho’s only hopes of reigniting his career hinge on leaving the La Liga champions this summer.

It’s incredibly unlikely that the Brazilian will find a place in Ernesto Valverde’s midfield or attack – given the summer arrivals of Frenkie de Jong and Antoine Griezmann.

Given that Pochettino has worked with Coutinho in the past, it’s likely that the star’s best bet to reignite his career would be a move to Tottenham.

The ace struggled last season, scoring just eight goals and providing two assists in 42 appearances across all competitions.

Coutinho will have the chance to be one of the team’s key figures considering that the future of Christian Eriksen is uncertain, the Brazilian could flourish in a central attacking midfield role.

More Stories Ernesto Valverde Mauricio Pochettino Philippe Coutinho Unai Emery