Fabrizio Romano has confirmed Arsenal transfer target Philippe Coutinho is close to agreeing a permanent deal with Aston Villa.
Coutinho moved to Aston Villa in January and has enjoyed a successful period under Steven Gerrard, after a disappointing time at Barcelona. The Brazilian moved from Liverpool to Barcelona for a whopping £146m, according to Sky Sports, but has failed to live up to his price tag.
Now, Romano has reported that a deal between Aston Villa and Barcelona is close to completion, for a fee of around €20m. Coutinho is happy to stay in England, and the final details are to be discussed with the Spanish giants, as seen in the tweet below.
Aston Villa are closing on Philippe Coutinho permanent deal. It’s fully agreed on player side – he wants to stay as he’s more than happy with Gerrard. ??? #AVFC
Fee will be close to €20m, as per @gerardromero @ffpolo.
Final detail to be discussed with Barça: payment terms. pic.twitter.com/pIPR7LPVim
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 10, 2022
Arsenal were reportedly in the race for Coutinho, according to Todo Fichajes, but it seems the player is happy to stay with Aston Villa after they took a chance on him in January.
Coutinho’s career appeared to be petering out, and the Brazilian made only 30 appearances for Barcelona in his last two years at the club. He also only managed five goals in this time, but his form has improved drastically back in England, and it will be exciting to see what he’s capable of throughout a full season.