Philippe Coutinho could be open to taking a pay cut to turn his Aston Villa loan move permanent this summer.
That’s according to a recent report from Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, who claim Barcelona sources have revealed the Brazilian attacker has always tried to find ways to make transfers financially viable, for all parties involved.
The former Liverpool winger made a blockbuster £121.5m move to Barcelona in 2018 but has always struggled to recapture the same form that saw him become the world’s third most expensive player.
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Loaned out to German side Bayern Munich for the 2019-20 season, although helping the side to lift the Champions League, Coutinho soon found himself back and back out of favour at Barcelona.
Looking for a way to get his career back on track, this January saw the attacker’s former teammate, turned manager, Steven Gerrard, bring him to Aston Villa, in a deal that was seen as one of the winter window’s most shrewd pieces of business.
With his deal understood to contain an optional £33m transfer fee and fans wondering if the Midlands side will splash the cash, Gerrard, who spoke to Sky Sports earlier this year, said: “When he’s comfortable, he’s happy and he’s enjoying his football we all know we’re dealing with a world-class talent.
“For me, it doesn’t make sense to make any decisions now or say anything else on this, we just need to keep enjoying him and keep him healthy from now until the end of the season.”
Regardless of what Aston Villa’s decision may be at the end of the season, one thing is for sure, the South American wide-man, who has scored four goals in his first 10 games, certainly seems open to the idea of becoming a permanent fixture at Villa Park.