Villa to pay bulk of Brazilian’s salary for rest of seasonGerrard refers to former teammate as ‘special footballer’Aston Villa have sealed a deal to sign Philippe Coutinho on loan from
Barcelona for the rest of the season with an option to buy. The Brazilian is due in Birmingham for a medical to complete a transfer under which Villa will pay about 65% of his salary.
The move reunites Coutinho with Steven Gerrard, a former
Liverpool teammate who is Villa’s head coach. The pair played together from 2013-15 and Gerrard’s presence at Villa has been key to the move. Gerrard had contact with Coutinho more than three times in the 48 hours leading up to the deal being agreed and on Thursday publicly described the 29-year-old as a “special footballer”.