After a slow start to the final Tuesday of the English transfer window, Twitter was set ablaze this afternoon when it was suddenly rumoured that Philippe Coutinho was set to join Arsenal on a season-long loan.
The report emanated from the usually reliable L'Equipe journalist Bilel Ghazi, and while it has since been refuted by Julien Laurens, that's no reason to categorically deny it could happen... maybe? What's a transfer saga in this day and age without a bit of back and forth anyway?
Rate the chances of Coutinho to Arsenal out of 🔟... pic.twitter.com/b8PuMtYGfd
— 90min (@90min_Football) August 6, 2019
TalkSPORT have since launched a grenade into the fire with suggestions that four Premier League clubs are keen on the former Liverpool star.
In any case, Twitter was quite quasi-literally set on fire with this news and, seeing as this is Twitter we're talking about, this fire was polemical.
On the one hand, Arsenal
AHHHHH STOLE BOTH OF LIVERPOOLS TOP TARGETS INJECT THAT SHIT
— Sean 異 (@AFC_Sean) August 6, 2019
WE ARE GOING FOR THE LEAGUE BOYSSSS pic.twitter.com/H3MudlRE4L
— Joe Willock Propaganda Account (@PepeEsque) August 6, 2019
Coutinho and Upamecano in before deadline day.
— ️1⃣ (@P1AFC) August 6, 2019
Raul Sanllehi: pic.twitter.com/TKsCjTbaqf
I was pretending to be gassed for Ryan Fraser and Yannick Carassco but we’ve been blessed with Nicolas Pepe and Phillipe Coutinho pic.twitter.com/UREiOp4O7g
— 7 (@drinsanchez) August 6, 2019
On the other hand, some fans were, well, pretty baffled... Yeah, that's the word. Baffled.
Unai emery on the phone asking if coutinho can play centre back.#arsenal pic.twitter.com/J2H9qk7hpq
— Euan Hutcheson (@euan_hutcho99) August 6, 2019
When Aubameyang, Laca and Pepe are through on goal
— Kola (@ksekoni__) August 6, 2019
Coutinho: pic.twitter.com/kLKO1FD8wN
Good CB I heard. Great potential
— P™ | (was @cechque) (@SemperFiArsenal) August 6, 2019
No joke this is gonna be our line up if we sign coutinho pic.twitter.com/vnPt336cqA
— Aroon the Baboon (@aruunraam49er) August 6, 2019
Arsenal sitting down to discuss defensive targets and coming up with Coutinho is the equivalent of Game of Thrones making Bran king
— Paddy (@VieiraPaddy) August 6, 2019
Coutinho when Torreria asks him to track back pic.twitter.com/bFP346xNbv
— Buck (@LogicalFan) August 6, 2019
Kos going, Coutinho coming?! pic.twitter.com/OkXmO751EJ
— Babs (@_BabsJ) August 6, 2019
Oh, and we forgot to mention the Liverpool
I refuse to believe Arsenal are signing Coutinho.
— Sam McGuire (@SamMcGuire90) August 6, 2019
Feel like Shit, Just want Coutinho Back @LFC pic.twitter.com/RJQ7rjBLIs
— Braderzz (@Braderz456) August 5, 2019
38 - Philippe Coutinho's loan spell at Arsenal lasted thirty-eight minutes, the shortest loan deal in the history of the game. Unlucky.
— RF9 (@SambaRole) August 6, 2019
All that's left now is for... well, everything. We don't know who to believe and why, but we're definitely here for the ride. The beauty of this transfer is that anything is possible, and all outcomes are probably funny.
What a world.
Source : 90min