Boost for Aston Villa as Philippe Coutinho finally set to leave the Midlands club

Forgotten man Philippe Coutinho is finally set to depart Aston Villa this summer, according to Sunday Mirror. 

The Brazilian hasn’t featured for the Premier League outfit since August 2023, but he still has one year left on his contract at Villa Park. 

However, Vasco da Gama are now close to signing him on a permanent deal after a season-long loan. 

Although a purchase option wasn’t included in the loan deal, all parties involved are hopeful of reaching an agreement soon. 

Villa could also opt to terminate Coutinho’s contract, allowing the 33-year-old to join Vasco on a free transfer. 

This would give them a significant financial boost as the attacking midfielder is believed to earn around £125,000-a-week salary. 

Coutinho was regarded as one of the brightest talents in world football when he swapped Liverpool for Barcelona in a deal worth up to £142 million in January 2018. 

But the move spectacularly failed as his performances didn’t justify the enormous price-tag, recording 25 goals and 14 assists in 106 appearances. 

He spent time on loan at Bayern Munich before joining Aston Villa on a permanent deal in 2022. 

However, Coutinho couldn’t make a significant impact due to injury issues and lack of consistency, registering six goals and three assists in 43 matches.  

The Lions loaned him to Al-Duhail before sanctioning another temporary exit to Vasco, who are now in the process of finalising a permenent transfer.

Stats from Transfermarkt