Philippe Coutinho joined Aston Villa in January.
The Brazilian playmaker landed in the Premier League on loan until the end of the season and got off to a flying start.
Coutinho looked deadly in his first few weeks back in England but since then has regressed to the mean according to The Athletic.
He’s gone five games without either scoring or providing an assist as Villa’s collective form has started to drop off a little. His tally for the season stands at four goals and three assists in 13 games.
That’s not bad, but it does raise questions as to whether Villa should spend £33m – the agreed purchase option – to prise him from Barcelona, the club that loaned him to Villa in the first place.
The consensus seems to be that while Coutinho has struggled for consistency it’s rare that a player of his quality becomes available at a reasonable price to a club of Villa’s stature.
For that reason, the deal seems to be supported at the club.
