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Stuart Kavanagh
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Coutinho Signs For Aston Villa
Reunites With Steven Gerrard
Brazilian creative midfielder Philippe Coutinho has put a temporary end to his Catalan nightmare. The diminutive Brazilian has signed a loan deal with Aston Villa that will see him play out the rest of the 2021/22 campaign with the Villans.
The Brazilian had a successful loan spell at German giants Bayern Munich in 2019/20. He made 38 appearances on his way to picking up a Champions League winner’s medal in a treble-winning season for the giants of German football.
Try as he might, he could never recapture the magic he had shown at Liverpool in Catalonia. He remains the Merseyside Club’s record sale and is the third most expensive footballer in history. He will surely hope a return to the Premier League will help him find his mojo.
The 29-year-old will play under the tutelage of his former captain Steven Gerrard at Villa Park. When quizzed by the media on his interest in his former teammate, Gerrard was effusive with his praise, saying:
“He’s won 63 caps for Brazil, played for Barcelona, and was incredible at Liverpool. I don’t think you get a nickname of ‘The Magician’ if you’re not a special footballer. I can understand why a lot of supporters up and down the country are speaking about him. I don’t think you get a nickname as a magician if you’re not a special footballer, so he’s someone I have an incredible amount of respect for”
If he rediscovers the form that made him one of the most expensive footballers on earth, it will go a long way to filling the Jack Grealish-shaped hole left by the British transfer record holder when he left Villa Park for champions-elect Manchester City. The thought of him linking up with Emi Buendia as dual number tens playing behind Danny Ings or Ollie Watkins must have Villans fans licking their lips.
It is a huge signing for the Brummy club. It is also a sign of the appeal working with someone of Steven Gerrard’s stature, has on some of the biggest names in football. Something Villa could continue to use to their advantage should this signing work out and they climb their way up the Premier League table.
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Stuart Kavanagh is an emerging sports journalist from Melbourne, Australia, and Editor In Chief of ThePyrrhic.com. He is also the co-host of the After Extra Time podcast.
Always keen to discuss footballing matters, you can follow him on Twitter at stueyissickofit
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