Griezmann left the team in the summer, Dembele refused to renew his contract, and now Barca's third-placed Mr. Billion has also come to the brink of leaving. According to the Daily Sport, in order to get a stable chance to play before the World Cup, Coutinho has agreed to leave Camp Nou, and his next stop will most likely return to the Premier League. Barca have already negotiated with a number of Premier League teams and it is too early to say that Kuori is determined to leave, but everything is moving in the direction Barca want.
This season, Coutinho has played 16 games for Barca in all competitions, scoring two goals, including 2 goals in 12 La Liga games but only starting five times. After Xavi returned to coaching, Barca's tactical system did not have his place, in this case, Coutinho with a weekly salary of 472,000 euros has also become a thorn in Barca's desire to clear up, especially after Ferrantores joined, Coutinho's departure became a necessary condition for the former to successfully register.
In fact, after successfully joining Barca after the original crying, two troubles and three hangings, Coutinho never found the peak state of giving and taking in Liverpool, but instead won the European triple crown with the team in the 2019/20 season on loan with Bayern. However, after returning to Barcelona, he still belongs to the chicken rib type of existence. This winter, the 2022 World Cup kicks off in Qatar, and Coutinho, who is already 29, clearly doesn't want to miss it. So in this case, he also accepted the reality of leaving the team, after all, a stable and sufficient playing time can ensure that he is shortlisted for the talented Brazil squad.
Gunners Arsenal and Magpies Newcastle are both interested in Coutinho, but the Brazilian midfielder is now closest to joining aston Villa, who is a mid-tier team in the Premier League. The Birmingham-based team is in talks with Barca and is hoping to hire Coutinho on loan and buy later. The reason why it can stand out from many suitors and become a dark horse has a lot to do with the manager of this team, Gerrard.
Coutinho's first stop in Europe's top five leagues was Serie A giants Inter Milan, but there, the fledgling Couture did not get many opportunities to play, and in January 2013, he was sold to Liverpool by Inter for 13 million euros, and that transfer also became a turning point in Coutinho's career. At Anfield, Coutinho, who was in his early 20s, was well cared for by then Reds captain Gerrard, and with Big Brother, Coutinho grew rapidly and gradually became an indispensable midfielder for the team. At the end of the 2014/15 season, Gerrard left Anfield and it was Coutinho who took over the midfield flag from him, when he was already one of the best midfielders in the Premier League.
Coutinho joined Barca for a total of €160 million in early 2018, and although the way he left Anfield was controversial, the huge sum he left behind provided a huge boost to Liverpool's consecutive Champions League and Premier League victories. And all this is inseparable from the promotion and help of the big brother Gerald to him.
Gerrard knows the little brother's personal abilities, and Villa does need a frontcourt attacking core after losing captain Glalish, and Coutinho, 29, who has made good memories in the Premier League, is obviously his best choice. Of course, if he wants to rent and then buy to sign him, Villa will have to bargain with Barca on salary sharing, and even if it is finally bought out, Coutinho must accept a salary cut.