PHILIPPE Coutinho will play the rest of the season on loan at Aston Villa, the English Premier League club have announced.
The Brazilian midfielder will be reunited with his former Liverpool teammate Steven Gerrard, who is now Aston Villa manager.
“Aston Villa and FC Barcelona have agreed terms for Philippe Coutinho to spend the rest of this season on loan at Villa Park,” the club confirmed on Friday.
“The agreement, which is subject to the player completing a medical and receiving a work permit, also includes an option to buy and Philippe will travel to Birmingham in the next 48 hours.”
Gerrard had sung the praises of Coutinho on Thursday during a press conference as speculation grew about the 29-year-old’s arrival.
“Sixty-three caps for Brazil, a serial winner, played for Barcelona, was incredible at Liverpool – so I can understand why he’s linked to a lot of football clubs,” Gerrard said of Coutinho.
“I can understand why a lot of supporters up and down the country are speaking about him. I don’t think you get a nickname as a Magician if you’re not a special footballer.
“He’s someone I’ve got an incredible amount of respect for.”
Coutinho boasts domestic trophies in four countries, a Champions League winner’s medal and a Copa America title for Brazil.
He made 152 Premier League appearances during his time at Liverpool, scoring 41 goals and recording 35 assists, before joining Barcelona for a record €135m in 2018.
“He won two league titles for Barcelona, he won two Copa del Reys. If you go and have a look at his Wiki page, you’ll see a serial winner wherever he’s been,” Gerrard added.
“I’ve got nothing but positive things to say about the player. He’s a friend of mine.”
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