Aston Villa boss Unai Emery makes his stance clear on future of Philippe Coutinho
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery insists Philippe Coutinho still has a future at Villa Park following links with a move away from the club in the January transfer window.
Coutinho was linked with a return to South America last month after falling down the pecking order at Villa Park under the new boss [The Sun, 7 January].
The Brazilian was also heavily linked [Sunday Mirror, 4 February, pg 78] with Turkish giants Galatasaray who were looking to secure a loan deal before the Turkish transfer window closes on 8 February.
The former Liverpool and Barcelona star has yet to register a single goal or assist this season and is yet to start a Premier League game under the former Arsenal and Villarreal boss.
And speaking to DAZN [via Birmingham Live, 10 February], Emery believes the club will try everything to get the playmaker back to his best.
He said: “Philippe is working in training with a humility that is difficult to assume for a player of his level, I see Coutinho as an important value.
“We’ll try to help Philippe to bring out his best again here at Villa.”
Can’t give up yet
The 30-year-old has indeed endured a torrid campaign so far, failing to register any goal contributions and a player who is well down the pecking order following the tremendous form of Leon Bailey and Emi Buendia.
While the January links were understandable, it will actually prove too damaging for Villa if they allowed him to leave last month.
Emery has been crying out for attacking reinforcements since his appointment and following the departure of Danny Ings, there is a cause to argue that the Spaniard’s attacking arsenal has been weakened rather than strengthened.
And if Buendia or Bailey were to get injured in the coming weeks, who will Emery turn to if Coutinho had been sold? Considering the 30-year-old’s undeniable quality, he still deserves an opportunity to improve and impress as the club aims to continue their resurgence under Emery and ultimately climb up the Premier League table.
They simply can’t give up on him just yet.
In other Aston Villa news, the club are set to revive interest in an Athletic Bilbao player in the summer after a failed January swoop.