Philippe Coutinho has made a return to the Premier League with Aston Villa.
Coutinho’s Barcelona struggles
It’s fair to say that Philippe Coutinho has struggled somewhat since departing Liverpool.
The midfielder, once branded the ‘little magician’, left Anfield back in January of 2018 for Spanish giants FC Barcelona.
Coutinho was a pivotal member of Liverpool’s squad at the time, so the Reds unsurprisingly demanded a premium fee with the potential to rise to £142m for the Brazilian.
However, Barcelona probably feel somewhat aggrieved by that fee when looking back, as Coutinho has since failed to perform at anywhere near the level we became accustomed to seeing at Liverpool.
This season alone, Coutinho has made 12 La Liga appearances but has failed to complete 90 minutes once, suggesting he has not been in favour with either of Ronald Koeman or Xavi Hernandez.
Now though, Coutinho has finally made a return to the Premier League. But not with Liverpool, with Villa confirming the deal on Friday morning.
Welcome, Philippe Coutinho! ?
Aston Villa and FC Barcelona have agreed terms for Philippe Coutinho to spend the rest of this season on loan at Villa Park. ??
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) January 7, 2022
Key factor behind Coutinho’s Aston Villa switch revealed
Instead, Coutinho has made a move to Aston Villa until the end of the season, with the opportunity to play under Steven Gerrard said to have been a key factor in the Brazilian’s decision, as revealed by The Athletic.
It is believed The Villans fought off competition from several Premier League clubs to land the playmaker – who failed to impress while on loan at Bayern Munich two years ago – as Barcelona sought to get him off their books in an attempt to register Ferran Torres, himself a recent arrival from Manchester City.
? Philippe Coutinho has chosen to join Aston Villa on loan from Barcelona. Agreement in place between clubs + with 29yo Brazil international creator. #AVFC boss & ex-#LFC team-mate Steven Gerrard was key. With @greggevans40 for @TheAthleticUK #FCBarcelona https://t.co/YkyYaKwTDb
— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) January 7, 2022
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