Tottenham Hotspur lead Arsenal in race to sign Philippe Coutinho

Tottenham Hotspur are in pole position to hijack Arsenal's interest to sign FC Barcelona midfielder Philippe Coutinho on loan, according to reports.

Coutinho has failed to live up to many expectations at Camp Nou since his Â£142m transfer from Liverpool in January 2018, and according to Sky Sports News, Tottenham are favourites to lure the South American to North London on a season-long loan deal ahead of their bitter rivals.

The former Liverpool man has been linked with a move away from Barcelona all summer, with it being claimed that the club has deemed him surplus to requirements after just 75 matches the club.

However, despite speculation and interest abroad, no club has met the club's Â£80m asking price for the Brazilian meaning they now look set to let him go on a temporary deal.

Tottenham are keen on bolstering the core of their team, which reached the Champions League final in May only for them to lose the title to Liverpool, before the window closes on August 8.

Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino knows Coutinho well from his time in charge of Espanyol, where the then-Inter Milan playmaker enjoyed an impressive loan spell.

If Tottenham were to pull off a deal for Coutinho - who registered 54 appearances for Barca last season with 11 goals and five assists to his name, then it also backs up Sky Sports' claim that Christian Eriksen could leave the Lillywhites for Manchester United.

Tottenham Hotspur will return to Premier League action this weekend against newly-promoted side Aston Villa, and according our free football tips from Free Super Tips, the Lillywhites are backed to secure a comfortable win at home and over 2.5 goals in the game at odds of 17/20.