FC Barcelona loan Philippe Coutinho to Aston Villa. Both clubs officially announced this on Friday. The Brazilian joins the Premier League on loan, and Aston Villa also has a purchase option. The key to the transfer was Steven Gerrard.
Back in the Premier League: Aston Villa sign Coutinho
Philippe Coutinho moves back to the Premier League! FC Barcelona got their big earner off their payroll, the Brazilian will be loaned to Aston Villa until the summer – then the Birmingham club will own one Purchase option at an unspecified amount. Both clubs officially confirmed this on Friday.
“FC Barcelona and Aston Villa have agreed to loan Philippe Coutinho until the end of the season. The contract provides for an option to purchase, provided the player passes the medical examination and receives an English work permit, ”said both clubs’ press releases.
Welcome, Philippe Coutinho! ????
Aston Villa and FC Barcelona have agreed terms for Philippe Coutinho to spend the rest of this season on loan at Villa Park. ????????
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) January 7, 2022
Aston Villa is reportedly taking on the majority of Coutinho’s salary
This Friday (January 7th) Coutinho is traveling to Birmingham, then the medical check-up is due. As Barça also announced, Aston Villa will take on “part of the salary” – Barcelona does not say how much this part is. Coutinho is reported to earn around 23 million euros gross at FC Barcelona. According to reports, Villa will take over the majority of the salary, the talk is of around 60 to 70 percent, as Spanish media and journalists write.
For the financially troubled FC Barcelona, the loan from Coutinho is extremely important because it relieves the strained salary structure. Blaugrana, who signed Ferran Torres for a whopping 55 million euros from Manchester City a few days ago, were able to make the new signing La Liga’s strict salary cap not yet register. Now, with Coutinho’s departure, Barça has a lot of leeway when it comes to the salary limit – possibly even to be able to make another winter transfer.
Villa coach Steven Gerrard as key on Coutinho loan
Key to Coutinho’s move to Aston Villa was his former Liverpool team-mate Steven Gerrard. Coutinho played together with the new Villa coach at Liverpool. “I don’t think you’ll get the nickname ‘The Magician’ if you’re not a special footballer,” Gerrard said at a press conference on Thursday when asked regarding the Coutinho rumor and praised his former teammate: “I have incredible respect for him. He’s a serial winner, no matter which club he was with. I can only say positive things regarding him as a player, he’s my friend, ”said Gerrard.
FC Barcelona and @AVFCOfficial have reached an agreement for the loan of the player Philippe Coutinho until the end of the season
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) January 7, 2022
After Coutinho, Barça would like to get Samuel Umtiti and Luuk de Jong off the payroll, and Neto Murara is also considered a candidate for removal. Coutinho is Barcelona’s record transfer, Blaugrana paid 120 million euros in fixed transfer to Liverpool in January 2018, with bonus payments the transfer rose to 135 million – making Coutinho the third most expensive player in football history. But the Brazilian never really got acclimatized at Barça. This season Coutinho came to 16 competitive appearances over 608 minutes. In La Liga he scored in twelve games, only five he denied from the start, two goals. Coutinho no longer played a role in Xavi’s plans. And Barça is also more than happy to get the big earner – at least for the second half of the season – off the payroll.
Record purchases by FC Barcelona: Ferran Torres in the top 10
