Chelsea could be a destination for Barcelona star Philippe Coutinho

Barcelona signed Philippe Coutinho from Liverpool in January 2018 to fuel their fight in the Champions League and establish their dominance in the La Liga. While the Catalan giants have nearly secured the La Liga title, the Champions League evades Ernesto Valverde’s side, with Coutinho failing to leave up to his hefty price-tag.

The Brazilian playmaker, 26, has endured a frustrating season, netting just five goals and supplying two assists in La Liga. And it has prompted talk about the 26-year-old’s future, with Manchester United one of the clubs interested in his signature, as per the Sport.

Interestingly, the Sport has ruled Manchester United out of the equation but claim Chelsea could be Coutinho’s next destination, provided the Blues are not banned from signing players this summer.

Chelsea are in dire need of strengthening in the summer, given the Blues are aware that we will have to go through a period without signing players. And the report adds that our club sees Coutinho as a potential replacement for Eden Hazard, who is heavily linked with a summer move to Real Madrid.

Hazard will have just one year left on his contract by the summer, and the Telegraph reports he will officially tell our club he wants to leave.

Philippe Coutinho could be a good fit at Chelsea

As far as Coutinho is concerned, he may have failed to set the world alight at Barcelona but he’s a supremely gifted player who would suit Maurizio Sarri’s style of play at Stamford Bridge. The Brazilian is 26 and yet to his prime, so there’s every possibility his best years are still ahead of him.

Read more: 9-goal Chelsea attacker interests two bitter Serie A rivals

Luring the former Liverpool star away to Stamford Bridge would be difficult but if we are to replace the outgoing Hazard, Coutinho would be an ideal choice.