Former Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard is reportedly set to take charge at Al Ettifaq, and it’s suggested that he could seek an immediate reunion with Philippe Coutinho.
Coutinho, 31, joined us on an initial loan move from Barcelona in January 2022, and he proved to be an instant hit as he produced a crucial contribution for then Villa boss Gerrard.
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However, after he secured a permanent transfer last summer, he managed just one goal and no assists in 22 appearances last season, with Gerrard being sacked in October.
While Unai Emery would have arguably welcomed the opportunity to try and get Coutinho back to his best and playing a key role for us as we look to compete on multiple fronts moving forward, the Brazilian international’s injury problems limited him to just eight outings under the Spaniard last year.
In turn, his chance to stake his claim may well have come and gone with the Villa boss looking to bring in his own options this summer to bolster the squad, and he could now be presented with the option to offload him.
According to CBS Sports, Gerrard is expected to be appointed as the new Al Ettifaq boss imminently, and it’s claimed that he will target another reunion with Coutinho in Saudi Arabia.
Given the transfer fees that the Saudi clubs have been willing to spend on recruitment this summer so far, Villa will surely be tempted into giving an exit the green light to move Coutinho off the books and recoup a decent fee, which in turn could go towards either balancing the books or reinvestment in the squad.
Further, with his current contract set to run until June 2026, if his influence were to continue to wane, it would be an ongoing disappointment and a regrettable decision to sign him outright, and so an exit now could be the sensible choice.
If Emery deems the Brazilian playmaker surplus to requirements, it’s an opportunity that Villa should look to exploit, provided Coutinho is keen on the idea at this stage of his career too, and so time will tell if the pieces fall into place for a departure to materialise.