Philippe Coutinho signs for Aston Villa on loan from Barcelona
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Philippe Coutinho: Five of his best Liverpool goals
Aston Villa have agreed a deal to bring in former Liverpool playmaker Philippe Coutinho on loan from Barcelona until the end of the season.
The deal, which is subject to a medical and a work permit being granted, includes an option to buy the 29-year-old for £33m at the end of the season.
Coutinho joined Barcelona in a £142m move from Liverpool in January 2018.
However, the Brazil international has not had the expected impact and Barca are keen to lighten their wage bill.
Arsenal, Everton, Newcastle and Tottenham were also linked with a move for Coutinho.
The playmaker, who has scored 26 goals in 106 appearances for the Catalans, has 18 months to run on his Nou Camp contract, which expires at the end of the 2022-23 season.
Coutinho scored the winner in a memorable 3-2 win over Manchester City in April 2014, only to see his Liverpool side overhauled in the title race in the following weeks
His move reunites him with Villa manager Steven Gerrard, who was his captain at Liverpool.
Gerrard, who described his former team-mate as a "special footballer" on Thursday, and Coutinho were key parts of the Liverpool side that fell just short of winning the Premier League title in 2014.
Coutinho scored 54 goals in 201 appearances for Liverpool, who he joined in a £8.5m move from Inter Milan in January 2013.
And in another signal of intent, Villa are ready to increase their interest in Brighton's 25-year-old Mali midfielder Yves Bissouma.
Brighton, however, are in no mood to sell the highly-rated Bissouma, who has played a key role as Graham Potter's side have made a fine start to this season.
Villa are determined to strengthen their midfield and Bissouma, who has been linked with Arsenal and Liverpool, is on a list of potential targets.
Villa are also looking to add quality in defence in the January window.
Everton's Lucas Digne has been linked with Villa after falling out with manager Rafael Benitez, who revealed on Friday that the France left-back has asked to leave Goodison Park, but the 28-year-old's lucrative salary is likely to prove a stumbling block to any deal.
Meanwhile Villa striker Wesley has joined Brazilian club Internacional on a 12-month loan deal.
The 25-year-old, who signed from Club Bruges for £22m in June 2019 and has spent the first half of this season on loan at his former Belgian side, has scored five goals in 25 appearances for Villa.
Analysis
BBC chief football writer Phil McNulty
Barcelona were desperate to move on Coutinho after agreeing a deal to sign Ferran Torres from Manchester City for £55m.
Coutinho also wanted a fresh start elsewhere and his links with Villa manager Steven Gerrard, who played alongside him at Liverpool and has remained a huge admirer even through his struggles at Barcelona, have seen off a host of Premier League clubs investigating the possibility of securing a deal.
'You're in for a long afternoon' - Gerrard bats off Coutinho speculation
It is a sign of Villa's ambition and determination to back Gerrard, who succeeded sacked Dean Smith in November, that they have been prepared to push hard to sign a player the manager believes could be a real game-changer in the second half of the season.
Villa will be paying less than half of Coutinho's current wages at Barcelona and the deal is also understood to be cheaper than the one they struck to take Ross Barkley on loan from Chelsea last season.
Coutinho has languished in the shadows at Barcelona, although he did win the Champions League in 2020 while on loan at Bayern Munich.
He was a key figure alongside Gerrard when Liverpool almost won the Premier League eight years ago and the idea of being reunited with his former captain held huge appeal for a player desperate to re-ignite his career.
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