In the January window, Aston Villa took Philippe Coutinho on a loan deal from Barcelona with an option to make the deal permanent for €40m after this season.
On May 3rd, Sport reported the Premier League side have a ‘month to decide’ whether or not to make the 29-year-old’s stay permanent.
Two days later, Mundo Deportivo explained the cost of the deal has made Aston Villa think twice about buying the attacking midfielder.
The ex-Liverpool star came off the bench in Villa’s 3-1 win over Burnley at the weekend. After the tie, Steven Gerrard confirmed his desire to have the Brazilian at his disposal beyond this season.
Coutinho’s contract at the Camp Nou expires in 2023 and Barcelona are looking forward to cutting ties with him in the next window. According to Marca, Aston Villa, like their coach, ‘want to have’ the South American in their squad next campaign.
However, the English club view the €40m fee needed to buy him to be too high. In addition to this, the player also earns a high salary and Gerrard’s side are currently paying only part of his wages.
The ‘high price’ of the deal, for now, seems to be blocking Aston Villa from converting Coutinho’s loan deal into a permanent transfer.
There’s no mention whether the two clubs will enter into a new negotiation to see if an agreement can be sorted out for Coutinho.
Should no other club seriously come forward, then a cheaper deal should be possible… and that’s a gamble Aston Villa need to decide on.
