West Ham, Arsenal and Tottenham are all keeping tabs on Philippe Coutinho’s situation, according to reports in the Catalan media.
The Brazilian international is currently on loan at Aston Villa and the Midlands club do have the option to buy the Barcelona player at the end of the season for €40m (£33.6m).
However, Villa have yet to make a decision on Coutinho, despite the 29-year-old having had a very good start to life at Villa Park, scoring four goals and providing three assists in nine appearances. With Hammers reportedly waiting in the wings, fans on Twitter have had their say on the links:
He’s 30 in the summer. Seems like an agent story to me…
— Happy Hammers (@JamesP52987873) March 15, 2022
Rather have Lingard ⚒️
— Lee Bruckman (@BruckmanLee) March 15, 2022
No chance
— Stuart Dillon #COYI (@StuartDillon1) March 15, 2022
Haha yeah right.
— Lucas 🇳🇱 (@whufclucas_) March 15, 2022
I don’t believe this
— Lee from American Hammers Network ⚒️ ⚒️ ⚒️ (@LeefromAHN) March 15, 2022
Not at £475k a week we’re not
— Boleyn ⚒ GSB OUT (@Irons70_) March 15, 2022
🙄 course we are
— Hammertime #GSBOUT ⚒⚒ (@robmungham) March 15, 2022
Don’t need him.
— Ongo Gablogian ⚒️ (@ongo_gab) March 15, 2022
😂😂😂😂 like we’ll ever get him!
— Eth.n Wright (@e_wright0) March 15, 2022
Isn’t gonna happen
— Tommy (@Tommymerry66) March 15, 2022
Irons supporters are right to be sceptical about the reports. Coutinho’s wages are likely to be very high, while Villa still remain in the driving seat due to their purchase clause.
If West Ham were to qualify for the Champions League, a move for the former Liverpool player could become more realistic. Improved finances combined with the attraction of playing in Europe’s top competition may persuade Coutinho into moving to the London Stadium, but that’s a long way off at the moment.
