Football is full of examples where a player was counted out at one club before going on to succeed elsewhere, and this could be a transfer that would benefit both parties.
At one point Matteo Guendouzi looked like he would be a key player for Arsenal for years to come, but then he fell out with Mikel Arteta and he hasn’t been in team since.
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Philippe Coutinho is an interesting one because he’s only ever shown he can be consistently brilliant when he was at Liverpool, but he’s obviously a talented player who could improve the gunners.
According to this report, Barcelona have started talking to Arsenal about a possible exchange of the two:
Le Barça et Arsenal négocient un chassé-croisé Guendouzi-Coutinho !https://t.co/t43sdu6ShE
— Foot Mercato (@footmercato) July 18, 2020
Guendouzi could be a great fit for Barca’s midfield as they need some energy in there, and you have to think he would get his attitude under control if he was offered a move to the Nou Camp.
Coutinho would be a safe signing for Arsenal in terms of any character concerns, but his form has been patchy for years now, so Arteta would need to have a clear plan of how to use him.
There’s no point bringing him in just to stick him on the wing, so they would need to find a way of getting him on the ball in dangerous areas.
The report suggests that Coutinho wants to return to the Premier League while Guendouzi is open to moving to Spain, but it’s important to stress that nothing looks to be close at this point.