Squad number decision suggests Arsenal could still land Barcelona star

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While many fans will yearn for the older days where you got given a number between one and eleven depending on your position in the 4-4-2 formation, you can’t deny that squad numbers are a big deal these days.

Numbers at certain clubs carry so much history that it’s a huge honour if you get to wear it, while some players will have personal brand names based on their own number.

A report from Spanish outlet AS has looked at the situation with the number 7 shirt at Barcelona, and you do wonder if this shows that Philippe Coutinho won’t be getting a chance there after all.

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They claim that the number belonged to him and it looked like he would regain it on his return from Bayern Munich, but Ronald Koeman has actually decided to take it from him and he’s given it to Antoine Griezmann instead.

This could be big for the French striker because it does suggest that he might finally have a Barcelona manager who trusts him and wants to play him through the middle, so he should be pleased about that.

Coutinho has been linked with a move to Arsenal all summer and The Express were the latest to suggest the move could still happen, so they should be encouraged by little signs like this.

Of course it could be making a mountain out of a molehill, but at least it shows that Coutinho’s feelings aren’t a high priority for Koeman just now and it’s another little hint that the Brazilian could be on his way out.

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