Five Premier League sides interested in Philippe Coutinho

After a failed spell at Barca, Coutinho is willing to return to the Premier League.

Barcelona are in turmoil and looking to rebuild the club. The status of the Spanish giants has taken a lot of bashing with the financial distress the club finds itself not doing the club any good. The new manager Xavi Hernandez wants reinforcements on his side, but Barca are economically handicapped.

Recently, the Catalan club signed Ferran Torres from Manchester City, but to sign more players, they would need to sell some players. 

One player that Barcelona are keen on offloading is Phillipe Coutinho. The player should bring a sizable amount of money for the club. The good news is that several clubs are interested in landing the Brazilian.

Coutinho in line for Premier League return

Phillipe Coutinho had a fantastic time at Liverpool, prompting Barcelona to splash the cash for the player. Since he arrived at Barcelona, it hasn’t been rosy for the Brazilian as he had a loan spell at Bayern Munich.

It looks like Coutinho will finally depart the Camp Nou, with serious interest coming from the Premier League. The deal to take Coutinho to the Premier League could happen as early as this weekend. As per ESPN, Aston Villa is one of six clubs interested in bringing the Brazilian to the Premier League.

Four years ago, Coutinho became a record signing for Barcelona when he joined the Catalan side from Liverpool for £146 million. It hasn’t quite worked well for the midfielder.

The Brazilian midfielder is keen to find regular playing time, and this has seen him angle for a move to England. Coutino hopes to land in an ambitious club. Coutinho wants to agree on a move to a Premier League club by this weekend, and Aston Villa is one of the clubs leading the race for his signature. Interest has also come from clubs outside England, but the Brazilian is yet to decide his future.

Aston Villa interest

Aston Villa does not have a billionaire Sheikh owner and is careful with interest in Coutinho. Amid attention from other clubs, Villa are keen to avoid a bidding war. Signing Coutinho would not be cheap as he commands significant wages. Villa manager Steven Gerrard is an admirer of the midfielder, with both of them playing together for two-and-a-half years at Liverpool.

Coutinho has a contract that runs till 2023 and has managed 16 appearances in all competitions for Barcelona in the 2021/22 season. The Brazilian midfielder does not have a stellar record at Barcelona, with his form dipping over the years. He has scored 28 goals in 105 appearances for Barcelona but has won four trophies.

During his loan spell at Bayern Munich, Coutinho won the Champions League, the Bundesliga, and the German Cup, with Hansi Flick as Bayern manager.

With several clubs angling for his signature, no club is ahead of the queue to land the midfielder. The advantage Aston Villa has is that Coutinho wants to return to England.