Aston Villa open talks to seal permanent Philippe Coutinho transfer before end of season
Aston Villa have opened talks to seal the permanent signing of Philippe Coutinho from Barcelona, according to 90min.
The online source have reported that Villa would like the deal to be done before the end of this current season before making it official in the upcoming summer.
Barcelona are said to be desperate to get the Brazilian off their wage bill moving forward, with his huge salary needing to drop for any deal between the two.
Coutinho is said to be delighted with how his return to England has gone so far, with his new role under Steven Gerrard seeing him shine at Villa Park.
The board at Aston Villa know that a deal would be “tricky” but that a long-term contract should appease the playmaker ahead of a potential move.
Thankfully, the £34million option is not said to be a problem for anyone involved, with other clubs in the Premier League even taking an interest after his shining return to the country.
Aston Villa are optimistic of winning the race having already opened negotiations, with only those personal terms standing in the way of the deal being completed.
Coutinho has been sensational in that playmaker role since joining in January and moving forward, Gerrard is likely to build his side around his former teammate at Liverpool.
The 29-year-old has scored four goals and added three assists to his name, also bringing the best out of those around him, especially young Jacob Ramsey.
Hopefully, this deal can be finalised sooner rather than later leaving the summer window for deals that can add new players to this group and Coutinho to unleash him with less responsibility – a frightening proposition for those around the Villa.
In other Aston Villa news, Gerrard will be backed by NSWE in the summer