Arsenal's defence receives plenty of criticism; it is recognised by many as the department that requires the most work from Mikel Arteta in order for the team to improve.
While there may be some truth behind those concerns, the attacking performances from the Gunners this season haven't been much better by comparison.
Arsenal conceded 48 goals in the Premier League this season, a total that was two fewer than Burnley and Crystal Palace and placed them eighth overall. On the attacking side, they ranked seventh having bagged 56 goals.
Crucially, though, the offensive capability of the Gunners was even worse beneath the surface. They took fewer shots over the course of the season than 14 other teams including West Ham, Aston Villa, Brighton and - incredibly - Norwich City.
The north London side were saved by the finishing prowess of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and his high-quality teammates but on the whole, Arteta has to improve the attack of his team just as much as his defence.
This is largely why transfer links with Philippe Coutinho make a degree of sense. The Brazilian is the type of attacking player that Arsenal need, and Arsenal are the type of team that Coutinho needs.
The 28-year-old is quite an odd tactical fit. He's an offensive-minded player who thrives when deployed as a midfielder/forward hybrid, and he makes plenty of passes while also taking plenty of shots.
He's the type of player who has to be allowed to run the attack of his team with freedom to roam and try things, which is possibly why he failed to prosper alongside Lionel Messi who is very similar, but obviously far better.
Coutinho averaged 3.6 shots per 90 in the Bundesliga for Bayern Munich this season, placing him fifth behind only Robert Lewandowski, Serge Gnabry, Timo Werner and Lucas Alario.
The average number of touches of those four players was 45.5 per 90, unlike Coutinho who averaged as many as 68.2 per 90.
He dominates the ball, and he dominates the shots.
Arteta is likely to require time over a number of seasons and transfer windows to fully transform the attack of his team but in the meantime, he would profit from a player with Coutinho's profile.
The Brazilian would add shots to Arsenal, and he's capable of controlling an attack until it evolves enough to cope without him.
Liverpool's development under Jurgen Klopp is a perfect example; Coutinho was an integral figure until the Anfield club were able to field the likes of Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah.
Once that point arrived, the Reds allowed him to depart and haven't suffered since, and Arsenal probably want to advance down a similar path.
While Arteta works on every aspect of his team to improve their fortunes on the field, Coutinho would offer a lot in offensive areas because of his individual quality, and he'd take some of the weight off Aubameyang's shoulders.
When the Gunners progress enough to attack as a unit rather than through individuals, then they can take the stance of overlooking players like Coutinho without encountering problems, but they are far from that stage at present.
