Aston Villa announce permanent signing of Philippe Coutinho for reported £17.2million
Aston Villa have announced the permanent signing of Brazilian midfielder Philippe Coutinho from Barcelona on a deal until 2026.
The former teammate of Villain’s boss Steven Gerrard at Liverpool had been on loan at the club since January, and the manager was keen to keep hold of him, and now has done for the reported price of €20million (The Guardian).
The temporary move proved successful to the tune of 16 Premier League appearances that have produced four goals and three assists.
Gerrard commented on the signing on the club’s website, saying: “This is a brilliant signing for Aston Villa. Phil is a model professional and his impact on the group has been very clear since he joined in January.
“With the way he conducts himself on and off the pitch, he’s also a valuable role model for our younger players who can only benefit from his experience.
“As we look to build towards next season, it is incredible to work at a club that executes its business so decisively and smoothly.”
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Any way you look at it this is an impressive move for the club, and Gerrard’s influence has been instrumental with The Guardian reporting that the chance to continue under his former teammate was “key” for the 29-year-old.
It is rare that a player of such quality becomes available for a team below the very top tier of European football, but the circumstances around Coutinho are unique.
He was an undoubted Premier League star when Barcelona spent an initial £106million on him in 2018, and with £26million more of the potential £142million reported to be “easily met” at the time (Guardian) it may have cost significantly more even though it didn’t work out.
The Catalan giants were reeling from the unexpected loss of Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain for a world-record fee, and panicked to splurge a huge chunk of it on a player that never really fit their side.
As a result, while his star has certainly fallen some way, it is not necessarily a matter of Coutinho failing since he left Anfield, rather than he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
He spent a moderately successful season at Bayern Munich, but nobody was willing to pay a giant fee for him or match his massive wages long-term.
But once the finances at the Camp Nou reached such a critical level that they even had to lose iconic star Lionel Messi for nothing last summer, Coutinho was no longer an asset but simply a millstone.
In that context, Villa have swooped in to pick up the pieces, with The Telegraph’s John Percy reporting on Twitter that he agreed to a 70% pay-cut to make the move.
It has taken an unusual set of circumstances to reach this point but the club should be applauded for taking full advantage, adding a player of quality at a price that seemed impossible in recent years, and takes the significant weight of the previous massive fee of his shoulders.
In other Aston Villa news, Gerrard has escaped punishment from the FA for his comments on referee Jon Moss.