Aston Villa are reportedly ready to approve of a contract termination with Philippe Coutinho as he looks set to depart permanently this summer.
The 32-year-old initially arrived on loan from Barcelona in January 2022, and he impressed in the second half of that campaign to earn himself a permanent switch the following summer.
READ MORE: Exit confirmed as Villa youngster departs in touted big-money move
However, injuries, competition for places and the exit of former boss Steven Gerrard ensured that things ultimately went downhill from that point onwards, and after struggling to rediscover any form, Coutinho was loaned out to Al-Duhail last season.
With Unai Emery seemingly moving in a different direction with reinforcements of his own that suit his ideas, style of play and structure more effectively, Coutinho’s time at Villa appears to be very much over, and so it has been a case of trying to find a solution that suits all parties this summer.
The fact that his current Villa contract runs until June 2026 will have been problematic, but according to Globo, he has now agreed on terms with Vasco de Gama, and so they are now awaiting the termination of his deal with Villa to make it official, which should arrive imminently.
It’s hoped that in order to end his deal early, Villa haven’t had to agree to a significant pay-out to the Brazilian playmaker, as that would be an annoyance when it comes to balancing our books and staying on the right side of PSR.
Nevertheless, with no real future in the side and with his wages likely to have placed him amongst the top earners at the club, shifting his salary off the books will hopefully be an important and positive move in the long run.
Given the trend that’s emerging in our signings under Emery, the move to land Coutinho could be one of the last of that level that we do for some time, particularly given that it could be argued it was an expensive mistake given his fee and wages and ultimately with a lack of a consistent impact.
Whether it’s Morgan Rogers, Kosta Nedeljkovic or Ian Maatsen, it appears as though Villa are now focusing on talented young players at the start of their respective careers, and it will hopefully prove to be a strategy that delivers sustainable success.