'Yet to accept' - Aston Villa in deadlock with £17m forgotten star as ex-Liverpool talisman eyes exit
Philippe Coutinho is attracting interest from numerous clubs ahead of the summer transfer window
Aston Villa are said to be keen to find a solution for the future of forgotten midfield maverick Philippe Coutinho. The former Liverpool playmaker, who once cost Barcelona an eye-watering figure of £105m up front with a further figure of £39m in performance related add-ons, arrived in the West Midlands to great fanfare when he made the shock move from the Nou Camp to Villa Park on a six-month loan deal in January 2022.
At the time, Villa were still fighting to survive in the Premier League after replacing Dean Smith with Liverpool icon Steven Gerrard and the move was seen as an ideal reunion between a pair that had nearly lifted the league title at Anfield in 2013/14.
Gerrard described Coutinho as a ‘special player’ after getting the deal over the line and fans were quickly given a glimpse of the Brazilian’s capabilities as he found the net four times and contributed three assists in his first eight appearances for the Lions as they secured a 14th place finish.
The deal was subsequently made permanent for a reported figure of £17m in what was seen as a real statement of intent by the former Liverpool captain ahead of his first full season in charge.
What went wrong for Philippe Coutinho at Aston Villa?
Philippe Coutinho scored just one goal in 22 appearances during his first full season as a Villa player and missed almost all of the second half of the campaign through injury as Gerrard was replaced by Unai Emery in a watershed moment for the club and player.
Coutinho could never find a place in Emery’s plans and in September 2023 was sent out on loan to Al-Duhail in Qatar. He managed 11 goals in 41 appearances across all competitions in the Middle East before returning to his homeland to join Vasco de Gama the following summer.
The 68-time international has managed seven goals and an assist since joining the Brazilian club ,but has failed to set the world alight after a series of injury problems and inconsistent performances.
What does the future hold for Philippe Coutinho?
According to RTI Esporte, Mexican side CF Monterrey have their eyes set on Philippe Coutinho as they plot a bold summer move. The outlet suggests that the Nuevo León based outfit are interested in a permanent deal and add that club officials have already made contact with Coutinho’s agent to get an insight into the midfielder’s salary demands.
Vasco da Gama executive director of football Маrcelo Sant’Ana stated his side will definitely try to extend his stay. Two days later, manager Fábio Carille said the club have to look into their finances before considering retaining Coutinho, via Sports Witness. Their claim is that Coutinho’s preferred destination is still Brazil although Villa are keen to find a permanent solution before the 32-year-old’s deal expires in 2026 so they can at least recoup some of the £17m spent in the summer of 2022.