£125k-a-week star could now ‘consider future’ at Villa Park

Aston Villa midfielder Philippe Coutinho may have to consider his future under Unai Emery at Villa Park having struggled for form since his permanent arrival at the club in the summer, journalist Dean Jones has told GiveMeSport.

The 30-year-old signed for the club earlier this year for a fee of £17m but has struggled to make much of an impact on his arrival.

Aston Villa transfer news – Philippe Coutinho

Sport have linked Coutinho with a move back to Brazilian football in the form of Corinthians, with the South American giants having a strong relationship with the midfielder’s agent Kia Joorabchian.

The former Liverpool man was linked with a move to Flamengo by the same publication last season, but Villa, then managed by his former teammate in Steven Gerrard, stepped in to bring him to the West Midlands.

Jones has previously suggested to GiveMeSport that the appointment of Emery could signal the end of the £125k-per-week star’s time at Villa Park, though also suggested that there was a chance he could “fly” under the Spaniard.

However, whilst the insider can’t confirm how genuine the interest from Corinthians in Coutinho is, the transfer insider has suggested that there’s a chance the former Barcelona man will have to consider his future at the club in January.

What has Jones said about Villa and Coutinho?

When asked about a potential move to Corinthians or Flamengo for the Brazilian, Jones said: “I don’t know whether that interest is concrete or not, but I think it is something that will probably start to make sense for him in January. I can certainly see a situation arising where Coutinho has to consider his future in the next month.”

How has Coutinho performed this season?

Coutinho’s time as a Villa player has been nothing short of underwhelming this season, with the 69-time Brazil international making 12 Premier League appearances without providing so much as a goal or assist, according to Transfermarkt.

An average WhoScored rating of 6.37 for his showings over the current Premier League season ranks the forward-minded starlet as the club’s 16^th-best performing player this, showing that he hasn’t had the desired impact fans of the West Midlands giants would have hoped for.

With the summer signing up a fair proportion of Villa’s wage bill at the time of writing, the club may be eager to move him on in a sharp fashion if Emery doesn’t feel that he adds anything to the squad, for the club to clear up a space for another forward addition.

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