Philippe Coutinho takes ‘huge’ 70% pay cut to join Aston Villa permanently – report
Aston Villa maestro Philippe Coutinho took a “huge” 70 per cent pay cut to secure his permanent move back to the Premier League in the summer transfer window, as per The Mirror.
The 29-year-old initially joined the Lions on loan with the deal including a £33million release clause but there were doubts regarding the former Liverpool aces wages with him on £430,000 per week at the Nou Camp.
With the forward willing to take a significant wage decrease, the Villans were able to secure the £17million signing of the Brazil international last night – unburdening him from his torrid time at Barcelona.
The deal will see the former Bayern Munich man on £125,000 per week on a four-year deal – keeping him at Villa Park until 2026.
His former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard told Mirror: “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.”
Quality.
This is a great sign of intent from Aston Villa. For a long time, it was very uncertain whether they would make a move for Coutinho.
Not only was he on ridiculous money with the Catalonian giants but his form has come under serious questions of late.
It seemed a risky move considering his track record since leaving the Premier League in 2018 in a major £142million move but Gerrard clearly loves him and the board has responded and fair play to them.
The Villa chiefs are likely to give the manager whatever he wants as he looks to rebuild the squad in the summer.
The pair have serious aspirations together and backing the manager financially from the offset is a great way to start.
Of course, they have to be careful because spending money far from guarantees success but signing a player with the stature of Coutinho is a huge step in the right direction.
In other Aston Villa news, Jurgen Klopp’s reaction to Philippe Coutinho has been shared in the Aston Villa tunnel.