Mesut Ozil The Latest Potential Philippe Coutinho Alternative For Barcelona

Philippe Coutinho and Barcelona is the romantic comedy of the footballing world right now and at this point Barcelona are starting to give up hope and think about other women, one of those being Mesut Ozil.

There's that point in every rom-com when it looks like it'll all work out and then something happens that leads to one of the pairing messing up. At this point everyone involved will kind of move on and seek alternative love.

The problem is that it's never quite the same and eventually the pair get together because it's what made sense from the offset- think Ross and Rachel in friends, in fact that's the perfect metaphor for Barcelona and Coutinho, that makes Liverpool the Barry of it all I suppose.

_{Any excuse to relive the truest love there's ever been. Image: Friends}

In the summer Barca did all they could to try and sign Coutinho and whilst the player wanted to go his current club just didn't want to see him leave, I suppose the Friends metaphor ends here.

The La Liga leaders are likely to go back in for the Brazilian either in January or the summer but Mundo Deportivo, via the Mirror, report that should they not pull off the Coutinho signing Arsenal's Mesut Ozil could be their alternative.

_{Ozil has been with the national team for the past two weeks. Image: PA}

At 29 the Arsenal midfielder is four years the senior to the Liverpool star but with his contract due to finish at the end of the season he could be available for cheap in January or he'll cost absolutely nothing in the summer.

Whether or not Ozil would want a move to Barcelona having played for fierce rivals Real Madrid one can't be sure but there wouldn't be many players who could turn down a move to the Camp Nou.

_{Would Ozil's Bernabeu past prevent him from moving to Barca? Image: PA}

Thomas Lemar, Aleksandr Golovin and Nabil Fekir have also been linked as 'Coutinho alternatives' and it very much feels like a ploy to panic Liverpool into accepting Barca's offer rather than risk losing out on the money of offer for their player.

Will Coutinho get on the plane?!

Topics: Liverpool, Barcelona, Mesut Ozil, Philippe Coutinho, Arsenal

Ryan Sidle

Ryan is a writer for SPORTbible. He covers all sport from football, formula one, cricket, rugby, tennis, athletics, mma and wrestling. He obviously hates YOUR football team and has no interest in synchronised swimming.

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