Why Chelsea should reignite their interests in Philippe Coutinho

According to Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo (h/t Daily Mirror), Chelsea are interested in Bayern Munich midfielder Philippe Coutinho.

Now that their transfer ban has been lifted, Chelsea, led by manager Frank Lampard, have set their sights on Coutinho.

Coutinho could return to the English top-flight if Bayern Munich are not willing to activate their purchase option when his loan spell ends next summer.

Meanwhile, Coutinho’s career at his parent club Barcelona seems to have hit a dead end.

The Brazilian attacking midfielder has had a rather mixed season so far and it remains to be seen if the German outfit will activate their €120m purchase option at the end of this season.  

That said, if the German side opts against the big-money move, the Brazilian could most likely move back to England, with Premier League sides Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham all keen on landing him (h/t Daily Mirror).

Meanwhile, Lampard’s Chelsea began the season on a high note but lately, they have seen a sudden dip in form.

With the ban in existence, Lampard chose to rely on his side’s younger talents and the idea has paid off well.

However, the lack of an established playmaker has led to Lampard relying on the young Mason Mount. He has not disappointed, repaying his manager’s faith in him with some impressive performances upfront.      

That said, after a rather eye-catching start to the league, the youngster seems to be facing a sudden setback in recent games, with the 20-year old scoring just 1 league goal in his previous 8 games.

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His last assist, on the other hand, came in the last week of October, thus raising concerns. With Chelsea now free of the ban and clearly short of players in the creative role, they should once again reignite their interest in Coutinho, who is already a proven customer.

Verdict

With the side facing a crisis of sorts in recent weeks, they need a more experienced face and who better than Coutinho, who has the experience of playing for the biggest clubs at the highest level.

Moreover, with the young Mount looking a bit off-colour recently, it would be better to give him some time off. Hence, Chelsea should once again revive their interest in Coutinho if they wish to stay in the top-four.