Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard has clarified that he’s in full support of his team trying to sign Philippe Coutinho on a permanent deal in the summer.
The 29-year-old moved on loan from Barcelona to Villa Park in mid-season, scoring three times and adding three more assists in his seven Premier League appearances so far, quickly taking up a starring role under the new boss.
In early matches, the Brazilian was playing on the left side of the three-man attack for Villa, but more recently he has played at the tip of a diamond - just as he did with his manager at the base of it while the pair were at Liverpool - behind the front pair of Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings, with all three netting in the win over Southampton at the weekend.
Gerrard says Coutinho has all the traits Villa need as they look to re-establish themselves among the league’s top sides over the next few seasons, while he’s also impressed with how quickly he is becoming a supply line for the other attackers.
“Phil was successful at Barcelona but he had difficult periods as well,” Gerrard said, per Goal.com.
“He got to the stage where he needed a change of scenery and a different move.
“We want to be that for him because if we want to get to where we want to be, we need to build it around talents like Phil, because at his best he is a high-level player.
“All good teams have game-changers who the opposition are really concerned about before a ball is kicked. Phil has that status and he is giving belief to his team-mates.
“Our strikers Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings want him alongside them because he delivers on the big stage.”
On whether or not he would be able to work a deal for Coutinho into Villa’s summer plans, the manager passed that call over to the club hierarchy, making it clear he favoured the addition of the Brazilian, but stopping short of saying that would be the final call.
“I don’t control transfer fees or wages.
“All I can do is give my opinion to (sporting director) Johan Lange, (chief executive) Christian Purslow and the owners. They are watching the games and they will make the final decision. Phil has shown what he is capable of so far.”
Coutinho has one more year to run on his contract at the Camp Nou. He played just over 100 times for them in all competitions, while also having a loan spell at Bayern Munich where he won the Champions League.
He has won 65 caps for Brazil, returning to the Selecao squad earlier this year after a 15-month absence.
