Philippe Coutinho to quit Aston Villa, big-money transfer to Saudi Arabia on the cards
We’re delighted to welcome former Aston Villa full-back Alan Hutton as our exclusive columnist. Each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at Villa Park…
Philippe Coutinho will leave Aston Villa this summer and a move to Saudi Arabia could be on the cards, according to Alan Hutton.
Coutinho, 31, struggled in his first full season at Villa Park despite impressing on a half-season loan back in the 2021/22 campaign.
Injuries definitely hampered the Brazilian but under Unai Emery, he was always out of the picture.
As reported by The Mirror on 13 May last year, Coutinho’s contract at Villa Park is worth £125,000-a-week and runs until the summer of 2026.
It means that his contract in the West Midlands is still worth around £20million – and that’s before any add-ons and bonuses are factored in.
Hutton doubts any other team in Europe will be willing to match Coutinho’s wages, which means that he could be one of the next players to join the Saudi Arabian revolution, following the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, N’Golo Kante and Karim Benzema in heading to the Middle Eastern nation.
“Possibly. He’s got the name for it,” Hutton told Villa News when asked if Coutinho could head over to Saudi Arabia. “That’s kind of what they’re looking for. If you’re looking at it, he’s not going to get this money anywhere else.
“He came to Aston Villa, got the wages under Steven Gerrard and Christian Purslow was willing to give him it in return for something. But it hasn’t worked.
“I don’t think he’s going to go to any other team in Europe and demand the same wages. That’ll be difficult for him.
“Will a Saudi team come in for him? Who knows? It might happen but we don’t know. But one thing is for sure and I think that it’s coming to an end for Coutinho at Aston Villa. It’s not worked out.”
In other Aston Villa news, the club has been backed to complete a £42million-plus transfer for an “outstanding” European player.