Aston Villa have signed Philippe Coutinho from Barcelona for €20million and have tied the Brazilian down to a contract until 2026.
This is according to Sky Sports, who confirm that the 29-year-old has made his original six-month loan deal a permanent one, which ends a torrid four years in Barcelona.
Coutinho signed for the Catalan giants in January 2018 for a massive £146milliion according to Sky Sports, which makes the former Liverpool man the fourth most expensive signing in football history.
After an impressive half-season at Barca, things never worked out for Coutinho at his dream club and was severely mismanaged during his time in Spain. This resulted in a move to Villa in January, where the Brazilian will now look to resurrect his career.
Coutinho has played 16 times in the Premier League this season and has scored four goals and assisted a further three for the Villans. The 29-year-old has been very impressive at times but has lacked a little bit of consistency which the midfielder will be hoping to fix for the next campaign.
Gerrard was said to be the one pushing for the deal to become a permanent one and said upon signing his former teammate via Aston Villa: “This is a brilliant signing for Aston Villa. Phil is a model professional and his impact on the group has been very clear since he joined in January.
“With the way he conducts himself on and off the pitch, he’s also a valuable role model for our younger players who can only benefit from his experience.
“As we look to build towards next season, it is incredible to work at a club that executes its business so decisively and smoothly.”