Simon Jones believes Philippe Coutinho’s lofty wage demands could prevent Aston Villa signing him permanently this summer, but Dean Jones says a ‘problem’ Steven Gerrard may have is the club’s standing in Europe.
Coutinho is expected to leave Barcelona this summer after struggling for form and playing time, but Jones told Give Me Sport that the 29-year-old may want to join a club in the Champions League next season.
He said: “That’s the headache for Steven Gerrard. He’s got to convince Philippe Coutinho not to join a club in the Champions League, but to stick with Aston Villa. I think that might be what he’s talking about in terms of other problems he’s got.”
Coutinho has scored four goals with three assists in nine Premier League games this season. The Brazilian international is getting back to his best under Gerrard and is likely to have a lot of interest when the season is up, but Villa do have first option to sign him.
A £33m bid will be enough to get Barcelona to accept, but they may need to make a big dent in Coutinho’s £480k-per-week wages to get him sign on. And even if they can afford the 29-year-old, can they compete with European giants challenging for major honours?
Coutinho has played for Inter Milan, Liverpool, Barcelona and Bayern Munich among other clubs, so he may not regard Villa on the same level.
In other news, Simon Jordan unsure if Aston Villa will sign ‘highly talented’ Philippe Coutinho
