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Updated January 7th, 2022 at 17:14 IST

Steven Gerrard ropes in Barcelona's €160 million signing for Aston Villa

Philippe Coutinho will make a shocking return to the Premier League this transfer window as Aston Villa have signed him on loan for the remainder of the season.

Reported by: Vidit Dhawan
Steven Gerrard and Philippe Coutinho
Image: AP | Image:self
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Philippe Coutinho, who made a dream £146 million move from Liverpool to Barcelona in January 2018, will make a shocking return to the Premier League this January transfer window as Aston Villa have signed him on loan for the remainder of the season, with an option to buy at the end of the agreement.

The Brazilian playmaker has been looking for an exit from the Nou Camp, having struggled to consistently play in the first team and spent the 2019/20 season on loan at Bayern Munich. While Gerrard refused to add any further speculations about a potential move during his press conference, his admiration for the 29-year old and his playing abilities made it seem inevitable that the English coach would make a move for the Barcelona outcast.

Aston Villa sign Philippe Coutinho in the January transfer window

As soon as the deal was confirmed, Aston Villa took to their social media accounts and released a statement of the same. The statement read, "Aston Villa and FC Barcelona have agreed on terms for Philippe Coutinho to spend the rest of this season on loan at Villa Park. The agreement, which is subject to the player completing a medical and receiving a work permit, also includes an option to buy, and Philippe will travel to Birmingham in the next 48 hours."

Steven Gerrard was all praises for Philippe Coutinho

While speaking to reporters on Thursday, Steven Gerrard had said, "Sixty-three caps for Brazil, a serial winner, was incredible at Liverpool, so I can understand why he's linked to a lot of football clubs. 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. But I don't want to add to any speculation because he belongs to Barcelona."

Since moving from Liverpool to Barcelona in 2018, Philippe Coutinho has scored 28 goals in 105 matches for the Catalans. However, he did manage to win four major trophies with the La Liga giants that included two La Liga's and two Copa del Reys.

Image: AP

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Published January 7th, 2022 at 17:14 IST

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