Aston Villa in talks to terminate Coutinho’s contract as club chief speaks out
Aston Villa could be in line to cut short the contract of Philippe Coutinho.
The former Brazil international was a highly anticipated signing when he completed a £17million move after an initial loan spell from Barcelona.
Since then, the 32-year-old has managed just 26 appearances and has been sent on two loan spells by Unai Emery and Co., with the most recent being at Vasco da Gama.
With his loan spell with the Serie A side set to come to an end, a member of the club’s hierarchy has spoken out ahead of a potential Villa Park exit.
Coutinho to have contract terminated at Aston Villa
It is fair to say that things just haven’t worked out for the attacking midfielder since making his temporary spell from Camp Nou permanent.
Despite joining under Steven Gerrard, the Englishman never truly found a tactical approach that suited his former teammate in the Midlands.
This has followed suit under Emery, who hasn’t been able to get anything out of the former Liverpool man since taking charge in November 2022.
As a result, a move away made complete sense, but with his sizable wages, it has been near impossible to find a permanent home for the Brazilian.
That could be set to change in the upcoming window with South American outlet Globo reporting (8 June) that Villa are in talks to terminate Coutinho’s contract.
Vasco da Gama are keen to bring the number 10 back to Brazil with the most likely method to do so is a free transfer in the upcoming window.
The Serie A side are hopeful of landing a deal due to the good relationship between the player, his agents and the Villans.
With that in mind, Vasco’s CEO, Carlos Amodeo, has spoken out to say: “His (Coutinho’s) loan ends on June 30th. Our goal is to keep the player. I believe that there will be no problems between Vasco and the player.
“Now, we need to check the player’s situation with Aston Villa so that we can continue the contract.”
Coutinho set to leave Aston Villa
It appears that the attacking midfielder has reached the end of the road in B6 after going two years without an appearance in claret and blue.
This will come as a blow to many supporters who have always wanted to see Coutinho do well after such an amazing loan spell.
| Stat (Premier League 2021/22) | Philippe Coutinho |
| Appearances | 19 |
| Goals | 5 |
| Assists | 3 |
There is quality in the Brazilian that many Villa fans haven’t seen before, especially in what was far from a vintage period at Villa Park.
The ex-Inter Milan ace has fallen victim to the rise of the Villans, with Morgan Rogers, Jacob Ramsey and John McGinn sitting far above him in the pecking order.
With that in mind, alongside PSR concerns, getting his wages off the books will make perfect sense and will allow for Coutinho to complete a move elsewhere.