Aston Villa ‘to save millions’ as Philippe Coutinho news emerges
Philippe Coutinho’s difficult time at Aston Villa is finally coming to an end.
The 33-year-old joined Villa under Steven Gerrard for £17million, after a successful loan spell, scoring five goals and three assists in 19 matches.
However, Coutinho struggled to replicate those performances under Unai Emery and has not made an appearance for Villa since August 2023.
The attacker has spent the last season on loan at Vasco de Gama, making 44 appearances and scoring eight goals for the Brazilian side.
Previously, he spent the 2023/24 season on loan at Al-Duhail SC with 22 appearances and several goals.
Coutinho set to depart Villa Park after deal launched
As reported in the print edition of the Sunday Mirror (22 June, page 68), Coutinho is set to depart Aston Villa, with Vasco de Gama finalising a permanent deal for the 33-year-old.
He spent last season on loan at the Brazilian side, where he began his senior career, and while the loan did not include a buy option, an agreement between all parties is expected to occur.
The former Liverpool and Barcelona player is also reported to earn £125,000-a-week at Villa, equating to £6.5million a year that could be saved.
The Brazilian still has a year left on his contract at Villa, which could still be terminated to allow Coutinho to join Vasco on a free transfer, helping PSR along the way.
Villa need to cash in on Coutinho
Villa find themselves in a worrying position with PSR concerns overshadowing the summer transfer window.
The Midlands club are considering the sale of key players to comply with financial regulations, as they have been forced to do across the last two windows.
With Coutinho’s wages estimated to be around £6.5million a year, a departure for the 33-year-old could help Villa’s finances and potentially allow room for new investment into the squad.
| 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | |
| Apperances for Villa | 0 | 2 | 24 | 19 |
| Goals for Villa | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
With a lack of recent appearances for Villa and a difficult record under Emery, Coutinho’s wages are no longer affordable for Villa, and a permanent move back to Brazil would be beneficial to all parties.
Sign up for the Villa News WhatsApp channel and turn on notifications to have all the latest, breaking Aston Villa news sent straight to your phone.