‘Aston Villa at work to terminate Coutinho agreement’
Aston Villa have made their stance clear on Phillipe Coutinho’s future at the club this summer.
The 32-year-old spent last season on loan at Brazilian side Vasco da Gama, scoring eight goals and providing five assists in 43 appearances.
It was the second straight campaign the attacking midfielder spent away from Villa Park on a temporary basis, after running out for Qatar Stars League outfit Al-Duhail SC during the 2023/24 season.
Coutinho joined Villa in January 2022 on an initial loan deal, before signing permanently the following summer.
Aston Villa to dispose of Phillipe Coutinho this summer
The Villans are keen to offload Coutinho in the upcoming transfer window, due to his significant impact on the wage bill.
According to The Athletic, the club are trying to reach an agreement to cancel the Brazilian’s deal early as they believe he has no future at the club.
It’s believed that Villa will have to pay out some compensation to the former Liverpool and Barcelona man in order to get him to agree a mutual termination.
Coutinho hasn’t featured for the Villans since August 2023 but is still taking home £125,000 a week.
Villa are fighting to conform with the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR) and UEFA’s squad cost ratio regulations (SCR), which is why reducing their wage bill is such a crucial matter.
Phillipe Coutinho’s career in Europe may be over
Once upon a time, Coutinho dazzled supporters in the Premier League with his outrageous ability and Samba flair. Now, those days look to be over.
When the playmaker joined Villa, he impressed to start under former teammate Steven Gerrard, scoring five and assisting three during his initial loan spell.
| Matches | Goals | Assists |
| 45 | 6 | 3 |
However, he couldn’t replicate that form after signing permanently and fell out of favour after Unai Emery took charge.
Coutinho has captured some of football’s biggest prizes, claiming the Champions League as part of the German treble with Bayern Munich in 2020. He was also part of the Brazil side that won the 2019 Copa America.
The 32-year-old never quite managed to replicate the outstanding form he enjoyed at Liverpool though, which warranted an eye-watering £142 million move to Barcelona.
Hopefully, an agreement can be reached soon, which allows both the player and club to move on from the situation.