Philippe Coutinho will leave Barcelona for good this summer.
That’s according to Mundo Deportivo, who report that the Brazilian playmaker, 29 years of age, will depart for Aston Villa.
Coutinho has been on loan at the Premier League club since the January transfer window and they’re keen to keep him next year.
Villa had a non-compulsory purchase option included in the deal for €40m but Barcelona are willing to drop that to between €15-20m. Their financial situation means that a sale is very welcome.
Steven Gerrard has been public about his desire to keep Coutinho, who he played with at Liverpool, beyond the expiration of his loan spell at the season’s end.
Coutinho joined La Blaugrana from Liverpool at the beginning of 2018 but failed to settle at Camp Nou or hit the heights that earned him the move in the first place.
He’s happy to be back in the Premier League.
