Philippe Coutinho set to make Villa loan spell permanent as clubs agree deal

Aston Villa have reached an agreement with Barcelona to sign Philippe Coutinho for about €20m after his successful loan spell.

Coutinho has been with Villa since January and the opportunity to continue working under Steven Gerrard was key to the 29-year-old’s decision to accept the transfer.

The Brazilian joined Barcelona from Liverpool, where he played alongside Gerrard, for an initial £106m in January 2018 but the move did not work out and he spent the 2019-20 season on loan at Bayern Munich.

Payment terms were the final element to be settled in negotiations between Barcelona and Villa, who are preparing to confirm the deal.

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Coutinho has played 16 times for Villa, scoring four goals and providing three assists, although all of those came in his first eight appearances. “We want Phil Coutinho here for sure,” Gerrard said after using him as a late substitute at Burnley this month.

- Guardian