Philippe Coutinho is reportedly in talks about a possible loan move that will see him link up with a former teammate and now Aston Villa boss, Steven Gerrard.
Rumours have been floating around for a month or two linking the Barcelona man with a move to Aston Villa but most Villa fans tend to brush these rumours to one side and not think twice about it.
News broke through various sources around 3-4 hours ago which would suggest there is something in this rumour.
Aston Villa are in direct contact with Philippe Coutinho agent to negotiate potential loan move, as first reported by @tjcope @helenacondis. It’s not a done deal/agreed yet. 🇧🇷 #AVFC
Coutinho has been discussed with 3 Premier League clubs. He’s open and prepared to leave Barça.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 5, 2022
The transfer of Phillipe Coutinho to Aston Villa should be made official ‘in the next few hours or days’. [@saraescriu via @Sport_Witness] #avfc
— villareport (@villareport) January 5, 2022
#FCB 🔵🔴
🏴 El Barça y el Aston Villa negocian la cesión con opción de compra del brasileño
💥 La marcha de Coutinho acercará la inscripción de Ferran Torreshttps://t.co/B703QHpARm
— Diario SPORT (@sport) January 5, 2022
Talk has continued to gather pace throughout the afternoon with further reports suggesting it could be a loan deal. Globo Esporte reports that Aston Villa and Barcelona are in discussions on whether the loan deal will be until the end of the season or until after the World Cup (12-month loan) with Villa having an option to buy the Brazilian.
What has Coutinho been doing since he left Liverpool?
The 29-year-old left Liverpool in 2018 after making over 150 appearances for the Merseyside club. He registered 12 goals and 9 assists before he moved to Barcelona for a reported £105 million, rising to £142 million.
He enjoyed a successful time in Spain during his first two seasons helping Barcelona to two Serie A league titles. During his third season, following criticism from Barca fans, he celebrated by putting his hands in his ears which didn’t go down too well with the supporters.
Coutinho then moved to Germany with Bayern Munich on a 12-month loan deal. Bayern was believed to have paid €8.5 million-plus all his wages for his services. During his time in Germany, he scored 11 goals in 38 appearances and helped Bayern to their second treble in two years of the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and Champions League titles.
The Brazillian returned to Barcelona and became a favourite of then manager Ronald Koeman before picking up an injury in December ruling him out for the remainder of that season. In this campaign he has made 16 appearances, 11 of them coming from the bench, contributing to two goals.
What can Coutinho bring to Aston Villa?
On top of being a serial winner, the little Brazilian will add flair and quality to Aston Villa. Linking up with Gerrard also shows the pulling power the new boss has which can only be seen as a positive for the Villans.
He can play in an advanced playmaker, attacking midfielder, second striker or even the number 8 role where he provides assists for his teammates. Creativity has proved an issue for Villa this season but there is hope the Brazilian could help with that.
Mauricio Pochettino, his former boss, once compared him to Leo Messi and Ronaldhinio: “Philippe… he has a special magic in his feet.
It remains to be seen if Villa can get this one over the line but one thing is for sure, Villa fans are excited over the prospect of a player Villa were linked with before he joined Liverpool all those years ago. I am sure I won’t be alone when I say, I will keep one eye on John Percy’s Twitter page.