Brazilian midfielder Philippe Coutinho has joined English Premier League side Aston Villa on a loan from Barcelona until the end of the ongoing season.
He will reunite with his former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, who is now the manager of Aston Villa.
“The agreement, which is subject to the player completing a medical and receiving a work permit, also includes an option to buy and Philippe will travel to Birmingham in the next 48 hours,” read a statement by Villa.
Gerrard had reportedly spoken to Coutinho thrice to convince the player to move as his move to Barcelona has not gone well. Villa will reportedly pay 65 per cent of Coutinho’s salary, and the loan includes an option for Villa to buy him.
Coutinho makes his return to English football after his earlier stint with Liverpool where he was the star of the side.
Welcome back to the #PL, @Phil_Coutinho!
— Premier League (@premierleague) January 7, 2022
Ready for more moments of magic like this? ✨ pic.twitter.com/X9NsSikufv
It is reported that the 29-year-old pushed for the move in search of regular football and was convinced by Gerrard’s project.
Coutinho had signed for Barcelona in January 2018 for a club-record £146 million but has struggled to make a mark at the Spanish club.
He even spent a year on loan at Bayern Munich in the 2019-20 season, when he even scored against his parent side in a Champions League rout.
“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.”
Villa will be hoping that Coutinho can fill the creative void left by Jack Grealish, who left for Manchester City in the summer. It is a like-for-like replacement but a jaded Coutinho has much to prove since his ill-fated move to Barcelona.
