Mercato | Mercato – Barcelona: This important point that made the difference for Philippe Coutinho …

Posted on January 5, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. by The editorial staff

Very far from the level he displayed a few years ago, Philippe Coutinho is getting closer and closer to leaving FC Barcelona. A Premier League club would be in pole position to recover it, thanks to a certain Steven Gerrard.

In order to build a team capable of resuming success, FC Barcelona relies heavily on the transfer market. Joan Laporta would explore a few avenues to strengthen Xavi ’s squad. But the Catalan president is also said to be counting on certain departures in order to reduce the wage bill of the Blaugrana side. So, Joan Laporta would have placed a few names on his transfer list on which Philippe Coutinho would appear. Recruited in 2018, the Brazilian has never really met the expectations placed on him, while he arrived in Catalonia with the status of successor to Neymar , party to PSG . As a result, in this winter transfer window, FC Barcelona would like to part ways with Philippe Coutinho and the player has never seemed so close to a start. Several teams are said to be interested in the profile of the 29-year-old attacking midfielder, including Aston Villa who would like to secure the services of the Brazilian in the form of a 6-month loan according to Cadena COPE. Moreover, an element would be tipping the scales in favor of the current 13th of the Premier League .

Steven Gerrard would give the advantage to Aston Villa in the Coutinho dossier

According to information from Mundo Deportivo, Aston Villa would be the team best placed to welcome Philippe Coutinho for the moment. And the presence of Steven Gerrard on the bench of the Villans would have something to do with it. The two men played together at Liverpool between 2013 and 2015 and the Brazilian would not be unhappy to find him at Aston Villa . For its part, the Premier League club would not want to include a call option in the proposed loan but the good relationship with Philippe Coutinho could open a door to a longer-term future at the club for the 29-year-old. To be continued.