Coutinho joins Aston Villa on loan from Barcelona

Aston Villa have announced the signing of Philippe Coutinho on loan from Barcelona until the end of the season.

The Brazilian returns to the Premier League and reunites with former Liverpool teammate Steven Gerrard, who is now the manager at Villa Park.

He has endured a tough spell at Barceona since joining the club for a reported club record fee in January 2018, spending a season on loan at Bayern Munich after falling out of favour, and playing just 24 times in La Liga in the last two seasons.

He will hope to reignite his career at ambitious Aston Villa, who sold Jack Grealish to Manchester City in the summer and have included an option to buy in the terms of the loan.

“It’s a pleasure to be here; it’s a great club,” said Coutinho of his loan move.

“I spoke a lot with the manager, with Stevie, and he told me about the club and his ambitions. I’m very happy to be here and I’m looking to enjoy my football.”

He added: “I’ve known Stevie for a long time. I played with him and I learned a lot from him.

“He’s someone who I have big admiration for. I hope to do my best here. For sure, I will work hard, and I hope together we can do good work.”

Coutinho could be in line to make his Aston Villa debut against Manchester United on Saturday evening.

The attacking midfielder scored 41 times in 152 Premier League appearances for Liverpool, leaving the club for a reported initial £105 million fee to fulfil long-standing links with a move to Barcelona.

The 29-year-old was named in the PFA Team of the Year after the 2014-15 season, which was Gerrard’s final season as a player at the club.

Coutinho may not be the last addition of the week for Aston Villa.

The club are also closing in on wantaway Everton left-back Lucas Digne, with the two parties also engaged in discussions over a deal that would see Anwar El Ghazi head the other way on loan.