Steven Gerrard confirms Aston Villa plan to sign Philippe Coutinho permanently

Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard has confirmed the club want to sign Barcelona star Philippe Coutinho permanently this summer.

Gerrard pulled off a coup in the January transfer window as he brought his former Liverpool teammate to Villa Park on a six month loan deal.

La Blaugrana included a £33m purchase clause in the deal, with Villa prepared to meet the asking price at the end of 2021/22, with Coutinho scoring three Premier League goals on his return to English football.

Gerrard has been delighted with Coutinho’s impact, but the former England international admitted any move needs to be sanctioned by the club board, despite his preference to keep him.

“Our forwards Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings want him because he delivers on the big stage”, as per reports from Sky Sports, via the Daily Mail.

“They board are watching the games and will make the final decision, but Phil has shown so far what he is capable of.

“We have him back in good physical condition. I think he was at his old level against Southampton, and above it at times.

“The rest of the players have benefited from him. He’s settled and smiling, that’s what’s important.

“We want to make a move for him, because if we want to get where we want to be, we need to build a team around talents like Phil, because at his best, he’s a top-level player.”

Coutinho’s contract at Barcelona is set to expire in 2023 with no plans to extend his stay in Catalonia from either the Brazilian star or the La Blaugrana hierarchy.

Villa are likely to offer him a two-year contract if the club are convinced Gerrard can continue to coax out his best form next season.