Given how well Arsenal are now doing under Mikel Arteta, it’s arguable that the Gunners have finally clicked under the Spaniard.
It took the best part of a season of heartache for Arteta to shape the squad as he would like, but now the performances as well as the results are coming thick and fast for the North London outfit.
Players like Kieran Tierney, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Emile Smith Rowe are the bedrock of a team that really looks as if it’s going places.
To that end, any potential new signings will have to be of a sufficient standard to improve what Arteta already has in situ.
There aren’t too may players that would fit such criteria, however, one such player, despite a drop off in form of late, is Barcelona’s attacking midfielder, Philippe Coutinho.
The Brazilian doesn’t appear to have a future at the Camp Nou given that new manager, Xavi Hernandez, has only given him cursory minutes to this point.
An issue with his salary needs to be resolved if any interested parties want to get a deal over the line, however, according to Fichajes, Arteta has given a resounding yes to the hire of the player.
From their point of view, Barcelona need to offload Coutinho and others in order to be able to pay the salaries of any new players of their own, for example Ferran Torres, who is due to complete his medical with the Camp Nou outfit on Monday afternoon.
According to Sport, cited by the Liverpool ECHO, Everton want to take the player on loan, though it appears the North London outfit want to beat them to the punch.