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The newspapers are ripe with rumours of ex-Liverpool star Phillippe Coutinho's potential move to Manchester United. The Brazilian had been on fire during his time at Liverpool, where he played for almost 5 seasons. Coutinho made 201 appearances and scored 54 goals during his time at Anfield. He was so influential that Barcelona came calling in the summer of the 2017/18 season, with the Brazilian making the highly anticipated move to the Camp Nou in January 2018.
Coutinho became the costliest midfielder in the world and was expected to lit up the Camp Nou upon his arrival. He did have a strong second half to the season, scoring 10 goals in 22 games. However, life has taken an unexpected turn for Coutinho this season at Barcelona.
He has scored just 9 goals in 40 appearances in all competitions so far this season, while he has completed the full 90 minutes in only 10 of those appearances. Coutinho has come on as a substitute 13 times as he has failed to seal a first-team place on a regular basis at Barcelona.
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As such, reports are floating that the Brazilian is unsettled at the Camp Nou and is looking for a move in the summer to rediscover his career. Manchester United are also rumoured to be among his many suitors, however, the move might not be in the best interests of both parties. Here are 5 reasons why the Premier League giants should refrain from bringing Coutinho to Old Trafford.
#5 Might not suit Solskjaer's style of play
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has a fast fluid counter-attacking style of football that has brought immediate success on the pitch for Manchester United. The Norwegian wants his team to press and counter at speed to find the gaps in the opposition. While Coutinho is a fantastic attacking footballer, his effectiveness under Solskjaer's tactics will be questionable.
Solskjaer mostly opts for an attacking 4-3-3 or a 4-4-2. Coutinho has mostly played as the right attacking player or the attacking midfielder in the team, however, his lack of speed might be a constraint. Also, the Brazilian does not bring any new qualities to the team at the moment and as such, he might not appeal to the Norwegian.
However, things could change if Solskjaer is not offered a permanent managerial role next season by the Manchester United hierarchy.
Also see : Gold Cup Standings, EPL Transfer News, Fantasy Premier League
#4 Lack of Form
Even though he scored against Lyon in the Champions League on Wednesday night, the Brazilian has been going through a rough patch of late. Coutinho is averaging just 0.9 key passes and 1.5 dribbles per game in La Liga this season. He has just 5 assists from 40 games in all competitions so far. His form in the league is especially poor, as he has just 4 goals and 2 assists from 25 games. Going for a player who has been so poor this season makes no sense, and Manchester United would be wise to steer clear of this deal.
The Brazilian is proven in the Premier League and does have an advantage in this regard. However, Coutinho's lack of form and inability to assert his influence in a Barcelona side that lacks a player of his calibre is alarming, to say the least. As such, there is a degree of risk associated with this transfer that United do not need at the moment.
#3 Price of Transfer
The Brazilian could cost Manchester United around £100m and as of now, it does not look like a wise investment. Coutinho is already 26 years old now and will be 27 by the time the transfer window opens. As such, there is very little return on investment opportunities for such an astronomical amount of money.
The Brazilian is a very good player, but he is not the superstar that the United marketing would be able to bank on. The Red Devils are already paying the price for a poorly planned transfer of another South American - Alexis Sanchez. Coutinho could demand similar wages and there is another risk of a transfer strategy going wrong.
But perhaps the biggest problem with the transfer is the quality that Manchester United would be getting for such a huge amount of money. The Brazilian will not score bucket loads of goals and as such, United could have a hard time justifying the transfer.
#2 Won't be an upgrade to the current crop
The Brazilian works best when deployed in the left-forward role, while he is also effective as a central attacking midfielder. While playing in the forward role, Coutinho likes to cut inside from the right and it is from this position that he is most effective. The Brazilian has a beautiful right foot and his ability to score from distance is extremely good. The problem is, United already have Anthony Martial playing in that position, and the Frenchman is, on current form, better suited for the role than Coutinho.
The ex-Liverpool player could also do a job as a central midfielder, where his passing abilities and vision would be an asset. But he would have to displace Paul Pogba for the role and the Frenchman is arguably one of the best players in his position in Europe, and certainly better than Coutinho right now.
A midfield of Coutinho, Pogba and Matic would lack bite. Pogba would also have to play out of position, something that is unimaginable at the moment.
#1 Will not address the burning issue at United
Coutinho would be a fine addition to the United squad, but he would not solve the most important problem at Manchester United right now - a right winger.
The Brazilian has played down the right on a couple of occasions in his career, but it is not a role that suits his abilities. As such, it is safe to assume that if he does arrive at United, he would not be running down the right for the Red Devils. Even if Solskjaer does want to risk him on that role, it would be a waste of his qualities.
As such, Manchester United should refrain from investing in the Brazilian in the summer. They would be better advised to break the bank for a right-forward instead. It would bring stability to the team which would not be achieved by Coutinho's arrival.
