Posted in: 12/05/2022 – 22:02
London (AFP) – Aston Villa, 12th in the English Premier League, announced Thursday that Brazilian international playmaker Felipe Coutinho, loaned from Barcelona this winter, has signed a permanent contract until 2026.
Barcelona explained in a press statement that the value of the deal was 20 million euros and that he would also receive 50% if he was resold to another team.
The deal is good for Aston Villa, as Coutinho has strengthened his midfield and scored 4 goals with 3 assists since joining his ranks.
Coutinho, 29, starred remarkably with Liverpool between 2013 and 2018, before Barcelona signed him for a record amount of 142 million euros.
Coutinho failed to establish himself as a key player in the Catalan club’s squad that loaned him the 2019-2020 season to Bayern Munich.
Aston Villa coach, former Liverpool star Steven Gerrard, expressed his happiness at the final contract with Coutinho, and said, “It is a wonderful deal for Aston Villa.”
“Phil is a model of professionalism and his impact on the group has been very clear since he joined us in (January)”, he added, stressing “his role as a role model for young players.”
Aston Villa suffered two problems at the beginning of the season after the departure of its star Jack Grealish to Manchester City, and his disappointing results caused the dismissal of coach Dean Smith last November, and Gerrard, who was then coach of the Scottish Rangers, replaced him.
Gerrard has restored relative balance to the ranks of Aston Villa and ensured their survival in the Premier League, where they are ranked twelfth, three stages before the end of the season.
© 2022 AFP