Philippe Coutinho joins Aston Villa from Barcelona on loan until end of season
Aston Villa have an option to buy Philippe Coutinho at the end of the season; Coutinho was keen to leave Barcelona and return to the Premier League in search of regular football; the Brazilian played with current Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard at Liverpool.
Philippe Coutinho has joined Aston Villa on loan from Barcelona until the end of the season.
The agreement, which is subject to the player completing a medical and receiving a work permit, also includes an option to buy and Coutinho will travel to Birmingham in the next 48 hours.
Villa are paying less than 50 per cent of Coutinho’s weekly wage, plus bonuses, Sky Sports News has been told.
Coutinho wanted to return to England and play regular football and sees Villa as an ambitious club that are building something special for the future.
The Brazil midfielder knows manager Steven Gerrard well having spent two-and-a-half years with him at Liverpool, and is said to already know a lot about Villa and their squad.
One source had told Sky Sports News there was also a chance Coutinho could have returned to Liverpool this month and that he would have been open to the move.
However, it is understood Liverpool were not pursuing a move for the 29-year-old during the January transfer window.
Coutinho was signed by Barcelona from Liverpool for a club-record £146m in January 2018, but he has struggled to hold down a first-team place at the Nou Camp and spent the 2019/20 season on loan at Bayern Munich.
In terms of outgoings, Villa striker Wesley has joined Brazilian side Internacional on loan for the rest of the season.
Gerrard: Coutinho a serial winner
Speaking on Thursday ahead of signing Coutinho, manager Steven Gerrard said:
“Sixty-three caps for Brazil, a serial winner, was incredible at Liverpool, so I can understand why he’s linked to a lot of football clubs,” said Gerrard.
“I can understand why a lot of supporters up and down the country are speaking about him. I don’t think you get a nickname as a magician if you’re not a special footballer, so he’s someone I have an incredible amount of respect for.
“But I don’t want to add to any speculation, because he belongs to Barcelona.”
