Aston Villa could reportedly offload Philippe Coutinho in January as talks are said to be taking place over a possible exit to return to Brazil.
Coutinho arrived at Villa from Barcelona on loan in January and enjoyed a successful start to life at the club, scoring five goals and providing three assists in 19 Premier League appearances.
READ MORE: Villa loanee could be recalled by parent club in January
However, after signing on a permanent basis this past summer, things have regressed as he is without a goal or an assist in 14 outings in all competitions so far in this campaign.
With Unai Emery also replacing Steven Gerrard, it has unsurprisingly led to speculation over the Brazilian playmaker’s future, and according to Goal Brazil, he has now requested a move away from Villa to return to Brazil with talks said to be taking place between Corinthians and his agent Kia Joorabchian.
It’s added that the 30-year-old’s wages could be an issue that prevents the move from happening, but it’s suggested that he’s willing to take a significant pay cut in order to return home and although it’s unlikely Villa and Coutinho reach an agreement to terminate his deal, it remains to be seen how much we’d demand to green light an exit.
On one hand, it would be ideal to see if Emery can help Coutinho rediscover some form as he could still be an important piece for us to add creativity and quality in the final third if he still has something left to offer at this level.
However, if the Brazilian playmaker simply doesn’t fit into the Villa manager’s plans, then it would be best for all concerned to move him on and not only allow him to try and kick-start his career again in Brazil, but also to create space in the squad for Emery to bring in his own signings.
Time will tell how the situation plays out, but exit talk is seemingly growing with regards to Coutinho and so we wait to see if progress is made for that to ultimately happen next month.