Aston Villa have been handed the option to take Philippe Coutinho off Barcelona’s hands for £33m come the end of the season.
This comes from BBC pundit, Phil McNulty, via a tweet, with it being noted that the clause in question attached to the loan deal taking him to the West Midlands is an option rather than an obligation.
Aston Villa have an option to buy Philippe Coutinho for £33m at the end of his loan period – but this is an option not an obligation.
— Phil McNulty (@philmcnulty) January 7, 2022
It’s a switch that reunites the Brazilian international with former Liverpool teammate and skipper Steven Gerrard who recently took over as head coach of the Villans from Dean Smith.
Considering the ginormous fee that persuaded us to part ways with the playmaker back in early 2018, the stated fee is by comparison a bargain for a player who has previously impressed in the English top-flight.
Given how his career has taken a nosedive in Spain, however, there will undoubtedly be question marks accompanying his return to the Premier League.
Should the move work out for all parties and Gerrard dig out the kind of form from his old teammate that persuaded the Blaugrana to go big for the midfielder during his Liverpool days, £33m could turn out to be a good piece of business for Aston Villa down the line.
#Ep29 of The Red Nets Podcast: COVID strikes again, who should Liverpool sign in January… and more!