PHILIPPE COUTINHO is looking for a path out of Barcelona with his ideal destination, Chelsea, dashed by the club’s transfer ban. Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain have also been named as potential exit routes for the Brazilian. But it was Stamford Bridge where he reportedly saw his future, perhaps as a direct replacement for Eden Hazard. Last week, the Belgian winger completed a record move to Real Madrid that could top £150million. Chelsea’s FIFA imposed transfer ban for breaching regulations on the transfers of minors is subject to an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The judiciary body will not suspend the ban while considering the case, meaning they won’t be able to sign anyone this summer regardless. That strikes off a significant portion of Coutinho’s wish list. ‘BLUES PREFERENCE’ Journalist Duncan Castles told The Transfer Window podcast that he reckons there is “interest” from United in Coutinho. He described it as: “Not as intense as the pursuit of [Ivan] Rakitic. “Definite interest from PSG, who he’s been offered to. “Coutinho’s obviously represented by a couple of agents who have very strong links to Chelsea, have done a huge number of deals to that club. “The briefing I had last week was that Coutinho’s preference would be to go to Chelsea rather than PSG. “But of course, dependent on the transfer-window ban being lifted, which it looks almost certain not to happen. “The idea that [Roman] Abramovich spends that amount of money on one player, in terms of salary and transfer fee, at a time when he’s trying to sell the club, strikes me as a little strange. “So I expect that briefing comes more from the desire of the agents to bring Chelsea into the equation than it does of an actual defined and fixed preference on Coutinho’s part.” Coutinho has not enjoyed the best of times at Barcelona since his £142m move from Liverpool. The next few weeks will see him focus on carrying Brazil to Copa America glory in his personal bid to find significant form after a tough 18 months in La Liga. Lampard will be Chelsea boss and wants Drogba in backroom team…however, no job for Terry and Zola fears axe
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