Aston Villa are interested in signing Philippe Coutinho on loan from Barcelona and has contacted the Brazilian agency to discuss a deal.
Signing Coutinho
Villa is one of three Premier League suitors for Coutinho, who is ready to leave Camp Nou. The 29-year-old moved to Barcelona from Liverpool in January 2018 for a fee of £106 million, but the deal did not work out, and he spent the 2019-20 season on loan at Bayern Munich.
Coutinho, who can play on the wing or in the attacking midfield, has only started five games this season, the most recent of which was a month ago. Last week, he tested positive for Covid, although Barcelona insisted he was in good condition.
The Brazil international enjoyed a five-and-a-half-season spell in the Premier League with Liverpool, and Villa hopes he can rekindle his career there. Barcelona has been trying to sell him since the summer of 2019 but has yet to find a bidder.
Expecting Gerrard Comeback
Coutinho’s former Liverpool colleague Steven Gerrard is anticipated to be backed in his first transfer window in charge of Villa. He’s looking for a defensive midfielder and fullback reinforcements, among other things.
Gerrard, the current Villa manager, played with Coutinho for two and a half seasons before departing Anfield to finish his career in Major League Soccer. Coutinho joined Barcelona in January 2018 for a rumored sum of over £120 million, but his major move to Camp Nou has not paid off. The playmaker has only made 106 appearances for the club and is currently on loan at Bayern Munich for the 2019/20 season.
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