Chelsea odds-on with bookies to sign Coutinho this summer

Former Liverpool midfielder Philippe Coutinho is one of a host of players tipped to join Chelsea, and with some bookmakers, the Brazilian has been backed in to as short as 5/6 to complete a switch to the Blues.

The 27-year-old left the Premier League in January 2018 as he swapped Merseyside for Barcelona, but was shipped out on loan to Bayern Munich after just one season at the Camp Nou.

After a somewhat underwhelming campaign with the German champions, a return to England may be on the cards for Coutinho.

Chelsea are odds-on to secure his signature, but a number of both established and new betting sites in the UK have the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, Leicester City, Manchester United, Newcastle United and Arsenal all priced below double figures.

Spurs appear to be the most realistic suitor aside from Chelsea. Coutinho almost joined the North Londoners in 2019 but the deal collapsed towards the end of the transfer window.

Liverpool, meanwhile, have moved on from the man they signed from Inter Milan in 2013, and should perhaps be priced even longer than the 6/1 quote offered by various sportsbooks.

The Brazil international is not the only high-profile attacking player linked with a move to Stamford Bridge this year. A deal for Ajax’s Hakim Ziyech is already done, and more activity is expected given that manager Frank Lampard was unable to bring in any players during his first summer in charge.

Jadon Sancho is one of the hottest properties in football at the moment, with many of Europe’s leading clubs taking an interest but it is Manchester United who appear to be in pole position.

Chelsea, however, are second-favourites with the bookmakers to lure the former Manchester City youngster to West London, with odds as short as 7/2 with some firms.

Dries Mertens’ contract at Napoli is due to expire after this term and while the Italian club is still his most likely destination for 2020-21, Chelsea are 2/1 to snap up the 32-year-old.

Also reportedly in the hunt for Mertens are Newcastle, who could be an outfit mentioned in the same breath as the top clubs for years to come as a result of a potential Saudi takeover.

Leon Bailey has been touted as a target for an array of leading clubs in recent years, and he looks set to continue his Bayer Leverkusen career but should the Jamaican winger move on, Chelsea are 5/2 to lure him to England’s capital.

After another prolific season in France with Lyon, Moussa Dembele has again been the subject of transfer rumours, and Chelsea lead the betting at 3/1 to add him to their somewhat bare roster of out-and-out strikers.

Calling a fourth-place finish a success is not something that Chelsea fans have become accustomed to since the turn of the century, but it would be an excellent achievement if Lampard and his team could pull it off given the circumstances around the transfer ban and the rebuilding job at the Bridge.

How the 2019-20 season concludes is far from certain at this stage, but when the Blues return to action they can feel positive about the progress made under their all-time record goalscorer, and with some additions to the squad they will be well-placed to mount a more serious challenge going forward.

A wide range of UK bookmakers have transfer odds listed in the Specials section of their site, and by claiming some of the betting sites offers on the market, you can wager on the players you think could be headed for Chelsea in 2020.