Philippe Coutinho has addressed recent transfer speculation linking him with an exit from Aston Villa.
As per Goal Brazil, it was reported this week that the 30-year-old Brazilian playmaker has requested a move back to Brazil to join Corinthians, and discussions were underway between them and his agent Kia Joorabchian over whether or not a deal could be done.
READ MORE: Five key talking points as Villa fall to defeat to Liverpool
It comes after Coutinho has struggled for form to start this season, having gone 14 games across all competitions without a goal or an assist, before suffering an injury which ruled him out of the World Cup.
Having worked on his recovery over the break, he is now pushing to be involved again, but he will be looking to battle his way into Unai Emery’s starting XI this time round, after former boss Steven Gerrard – who was so instrumental in bringing him to Villa – was sacked last month.
That in turn arguably intensified speculation of an exit, but the player himself has taken to social media to address the recent rumours of him wanting to leave Villa.
“In the last few days I’ve seen a lot of news with my name but so far, okay, the problem is now that some lies have started and I’m here to clarify,” he wrote, as seen in his Instagram post below.
“NEVER and at any moment had any kind of conversation of mine asking to leave the club, because I’m happy here and my family too. My only focus now that I’m recovered from the injury is to work at the maximum every day, to play in a high level and help the club and my team mates to achieve our goals.”
It’s great to see Coutinho publicly address the situation and clear things up for Villa supporters, as ultimately whenever a report comes out of a player wanting to leave, it does influence and shift the attitude towards them from fans.
The Brazilian ace has seemingly committed himself to Villa and likely won’t leave in January, with his full focus on impressing Emery and trying to get back into the starting line-up.
Time will tell if he can indeed do that, as ideally having invested in him and signed him on a permanent basis in the summer, Villa want to get as much value from him as possible rather than simply disregarding him so soon into his time with us having looked so promising after his initial arrival on loan.
However, that will be a decision Emery has to make once he’s had time to assess him properly and so while Coutinho has dismissed the notion of seeking an exit, it still remains to be seen if he can play his way into having a long-term future at Villa. With the quality he has showcased in the past, it’s hoped we see that again and it helps us move in the right direction.