Steven Gerrard’s quest to bring Philippe Coutinho back to the Premier League on a permanent basis has hit an unanticipated turn as the Barcelona directors expressed doubt over whether Aston Villa would follow through on their loan agreement deal.
The link-up of the former teammates has proved beneficial for both clubs with the Brazilian registering four goals and three assists from his dozen games since arriving on loan in January.
The 29-year-old had found himself frozen out at Camp Nou, and with his services essentially no longer required, the Catalan club are keen to take him permanently off their wage bill.
