Arsenal want to sign Philippe Coutinho on loan for next season, with Bayern Munich unlikely to take up their option to buy him.

The Mirror claim Arsenal are among four clubs to enquire about the availability of Coutinho at the end of the season. According to the report, Bayern Munich don’t plan on making the midfielder’s loan move from Barcelona permanent, putting him back on the market.

Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal and Spurs all hold an interest in the player. However, none of them want to sign him for the kind of money Barcelona are asking for. Instead, they’re all pushing for a loan move next season.

It’s not that Coutinho is playing badly with Bayern, far from it. In fact, his form is roughly back where it was with Liverpool, with nine goals and eight assists in 32 appearances. The problem is the £100m price tag on his head.

No one is going to risk that kind of money, even with the upturn in form. But Barcelona can’t afford to make a huge loss on their initial investment either. A loan move makes sense, for now.

Coutinho is reportedly keen on a return to England, according to the Mirror’s claims. Arsenal could be in the market for an attacking midfielder too, particularly if Dani Ceballos returns to Real Madrid. Clearly they’ll have competition though.