Aston Villa signed Philippe Coutinho on loan from Barcelona in January and had a buying option worth £33m to turn the move permanent, but Steven Gerrard was waiting until May before making a decision.
Simon Jones and Tom Collomosse of the Daily Mail say Villa have finally blinked. The Midlands outfit have sent a £12m bid to Barcelona for the 29-year-old and may only have to pay £12.9m to take Coutinho off their hands.
The Catalans are desperate to get the Brazilian international off their wage bill and will accept much less than previously agreed, potentially saving Villa £20m. Although Coutinho’s wages will be a stumbling block in negotiations, Villa should jump at the chance to sign him for 39% of his original price tag.
The 29-year-old has made 15 appearances for Villa, scoring four goals with three assists. Coutinho has created 24 chances, made 19 successful dribbles, whipped in 16 crosses and completed 82.2% of his passes, so he’s been a useful addition to the squad.
Gerrard shocked many by landing Coutinho’s signature in the first place, but Villa are expected to turn his move permanent this summer for less than they paid for Danny Ings and Lucas Digne this season.
In other news, journalist hail ‘pleasing’ Ollie Watkins who ‘tormented’ Burnley
