Aston Villa sign Philippe Coutinho
Aston Villa announced their first signing of the winter transfer window on Friday.
Villa have signed FC Barcelona star Philippe Coutinho on loan for the remainder of the season:
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
After landing Coutinho, Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard had this to say:
“Sixty three caps for Brazil, a serial winner, played for Barcelona, was incredible at Liverpool. I can understand why a lot of supporters up and down the country are speaking about him. I don’t think you get a nickname as a Magician if you’re not a special footballer.
“He’s someone I’ve got an incredible amount of respect for.”
How much Aston Villa need to pay to sign Coutinho permanently
In truth, though a big name, Coutinho has struggled form any sort of consistent form for several years now and is a slightly risky transfer.
He did have a semi-decent stint with Bayern Munich, but even that was nothing to write home about.
However, the now 29-year-old has proven previously that he can be a quality player and has the ability to cut it in the Premier League.
So, should his loan go well, would Villa be interested in signing Coutinho permanently?
If they do wish to do so, it is reported that the Midlands-based outfit would have to pay £33m at the end of his loan:
Aston Villa have an option to buy Philippe Coutinho for £33m at the end of his loan period – but this is an option not an obligation.
— Phil McNulty (@philmcnulty) January 7, 2022
