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Just a year after joining Barcelona for a record transfer fee, Philippe Coutinho’s future at Camp Nou is now looking worse than ever. Critics have continuously been stormed him for his deteriorating performance in the past couple of weeks.
The Brazilian has scored just 2 goals while provided no assists for his team in his last 10 matches, despite Ernesto Valverde started him on several occasions. A report stated that Barcelona are willing to sell their most valuable midfielder to Paris Saint-Germain because of recent situations.
However, Barcelona are also closely monitoring several star man from other clubs who could become the best replacement for the 26-years-old. Here we will take a look at 3 of those players who could fill Coutinho's position at Camp Nou.
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#1 Julian Draxler
Unai Emery had often left Julian Draxler on the bench last season because of the stiff competition on the flank. This season, Thomas Tuchel has moved him to central midfield position where he gradually started to flourish. The German player is now doing well to replace Adrien Rabiot who has an uncertain future at PSG.
The former Wolfsburg man is more assist-oriented than Coutinho. He has created significantly more key passes and assists than the Brazilian in the league. Fortunately, his creativity is just what Barcelona needs right now because Luiz Suarez has struggled to find the net recently. Not just creativity, Draxler also has scored a decent amount of goals this season.
The 25-year-old could come to Camp Nou at just €50 million. This price means that Barcelona could gain a huge amount of profit if they decide to sell Coutinho to PSG at a price of around €120 million for the Brazilian. They could use the huge €70 million leftovers to invest in another star player.
#2 Paulo Dybala
Paulo Dybala has long been linked to Barcelona. The Argentinian is a rare-breed midfielder who has the complete skillsets to fill several positions perfectly. Last season, he showcased his abilities to score goals and became Juventus’s top goalscorer.
Despite significantly losing his sharpness this season, the 25-year-old could still serve as an excellent playmaker for Juventus. Dybala has doubled Coutinho’s amount of key passes and assists in the league while he is also significantly better than the Brazilian in defending. Judging by these statistics, the Juventus player could serve as an upgrade to Coutinho.
The Argentinian's future at Juventus is uncertain as the presence of Cristiano Ronaldo is currently overshadowing him. The player also got several bust-ups with Massimiliano Allegri, and the manager has benched him several times this season. Hence, the summer transfer window would be the perfect moment for Barcelona to snap up the talented midfielder.
It will not be easy for the Spanish giants to get the signature of Dybala for Chelsea and Manchester United are also rumoured to be keen on signing the player. It remains a speculation whether Barca would be willing on the 25-year-old and if there is any space for him to play. Earlier, reports mentioned that Dybala's time at Turin could be numbered. As such, it will be a great opportunity for Barcelona to consider him as an alternative to Coutinho.
#3 Christian Eriksen
Barcelona now have stiff competition with Real Madrid over Christian Eriksen's services. The Dane is one of the top Premier League's playmakers who is putting many European Giants on alert because of his contract situation. Eriksen has 12 assists to his name in 34 games thus far in the season.
During Coutinho's time at Liverpool, both him and Eriksen often compared by many fans because of their similar skill sets. Unfortunately, the situation of both players at their respective club is now at polar ends. The Dane is fast becoming Mauricio Pochettino's most important player and clubs are eyeing for him, while Coutinho is not.
Although Eriksen may not be as agile as the Brazilian, the former is significantly better in overall productivity. The Tottenham midfielder is renowned for making key passes and his ability to take set-pieces. Currently, Eriksen's agent is said to be ignoring transfer speculation and the player could soon end up as a free agent. Tottenham will certainly be eager to keep hold of their midfielder, but if the club is unable to win any trophies, the 27-year-old could be tempted to move abroad.
Nevertheless, Eriksen is a proven midfielder and could worth every penny if Valverde could make the best of him. Real Madrid are also eyeing the player and should Barcelona see him as a potential replacement for Coutinho, they would have to act fast.
