“That could affect him even more” - Former Liverpool star warns Philppe Coutinho about joining Premier League club

Former Liverpool full-back Glen Johnson has urged Philippe Coutinho to choose Tottenham Hotspur over Arsenal if the Brazilian ever decides to move back to the Premier League in the near future.

Speaking to Bettingodds.com (via The Hard Tackle), Johnson claimed that Arsenal's poor run in the Premier League means they would not be the best option for Philippe Coutinho due to his own lackluster form.

The former Liverpool full-back believes Tottenham Hotspur are heading in the right direction while Arsenal are not close to challenging for the Premier League Top 4. As a result, Johnson is of the opinion that signing for Tottenham will make more sense for Philippe Coutinho. Johnson said:

“He’s linked with the two big north London clubs, and if he was to go to one of them, then I’d say Tottenham if I’m being honest. Philippe [Coutinho] knows that he’s not in a great position at the moment, and if he was to go to an Arsenal side who are struggling, then that could affect him even more."

“Arsenal obviously have some very good players, but they’re so far away from the top four, which is evident from their performances, that they can’t afford to have a luxury player such as Philippe Coutinho. You need to build the foundations of a team before you can start prioritising the signing of a number 10. In general, Tottenham are going in a better direction than Arsenal,” he added.

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Philippe Coutinho had a stellar time in the Premier League with Liverpool

Philippe Coutinho was one of the best performers in the Premier League while playing for Liverpool from 2013 until January of 2018. The 29-year-old Brazilian playmaker made a total of 152 appearances in the league, scoring 41 goals in the process.

Coutinho was Liverpool's talisman before the likes of Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk arrived at Anfield. The Brazilian was renowned for his amazing long range shooting and clever passing.

However, the 29-year-old playmaker was keen on a big-money move to Barcelona and left the Premier League in January of 2018 for a fee of around €135 million. Since then, Coutinho has struggled to nail down a starting berth at the Nou Camp and has struggled with poor form and injuries.

Meanwhile, Liverpool did not miss Coutinho as the money received for their No.10 was used to sign the likes of Alisson Becker and Virgil van Dijk. Those signings helped Liverpool lift the Champions League in 2018 and the Premier League title a year later.