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Why Philippe Coutinho’s move to Aston Villa makes sense: One last chance for Brazil to qualify for the 2022 World Cup



Aston Villa have agreed to sign Philippe Coutinho on loan from Barcelona with the summer option of buying the former Liverpool man permanently as he prepares to reunite with former team-mate Steven Gerrard.

Pending his work and medical permits, the Brazil international will watch the remainder of the 2021-22 campaign at Villa Park as he seeks to regain his lost professional light in Catalunya.

Before that, he had starred on the Premier League stage for five years at Anfield, and hopes to continue where he left off. The 29-year-old first arrived in England back in the winter of 2013, when Liverpool lured him away from Serie A giants Inter. Coutinho settled quickly at Merseyside and became an important creative cog for the Reds under Brendan Rodgers.

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Although major silver trophies proved elusive, it was a productive period for the Reds: In total, Coutinho made 201 appearances for Liverpool and scored 54 goals, while also proving to be a source of useful construction.

Those efforts have received plenty of admiring glances from afar, with the chance to fulfill his dream of a move to Barcelona present in January 2018. A $198 million transfer will come to fruition, but Coutinho already has. struggled to maintain his high standards alongside Lionel Messi at Camp Nou. And with lingering injuries proving problematic during his time at the club, Barcelona are finally ready to cut losses and move on.

Since then, various landings have been advocated for him, and it is reported that six Premier League sides have expressed an interest. But he hopes that a once-successful partnership with Gerrard on the pitch will yield an increase in fortune once again.

Coutinho’s dream turned into a nightmare

When he left the Premier League in January 2018, the Brazilian was ready to establish himself as one of the best players in the world. Four years later, he is looking to rebuild his career, to put his ‘dream’ moving nightmare behind his back.

Not many players swap Barcelona for Aston Villa and see it as a step up, but for Coutinho it is a much-needed switch.

Gerrard played with Coutinho for two and a half seasons at Liverpool and his influence in the deal is clear. Villa, 13th in the Premier League, would have seen it as a coup, even if others would have taken a more skeptical stance.

Coutinho, let’s not forget, is the third most expensive player in football history. Only Neymar and Kylian Mbappe have ever been transferred for more than $198 million that Barcelona agreed with Liverpool in 2018.

He was then 25 years old, about to enter his prime and he was seen in Catalonia as the obvious heir to Andres Iniesta, a player who both excites fans and delivers trophies. He has certainly won a number of trophies – two La Liga titles, two Copa del Rey titles and a Spanish Super Cup at Barcelona, ​​plus a Champions League during his loan spell with Bayern Munich in 2020 – but he’s not exactly why.

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Coutinho, Barcelona’s biggest signing ever, has only made a total of 30 appearances for the club and 24 over the past two seasons. With Barcelona currently focusing on fiery young players, such as Nico, Gavi and Yusuf Demir, Coutinho has had to content himself with a small, occasional and often ineffective role from the bench. .

His place in the Brazilian team has also disappeared. His last cap was in October 2020, although he was, somewhat surprisingly, called up to the squad for the World Cup qualifiers in November. However, the likes of Lucas Paqueta, Raphinha , Antony, Vinicius Junior and Matheus Cunha all stood out before him; a sign of the challenge he faces if he wants to get into Tite’s plans for Qatar.

Could Coutinho revive his career at Aston Villa?

Villa, of course, hope to be the beneficiary, and will assist Coutinho in rediscovering the magic that has lit up Liverpool during his five years at Merseyside. After all, there’s a reason Barcelona wanted to pay all that money for him.

Coutinho’s talent is immense, his ability to hold the ball, pick killer passes and produce stunning long-range shots has the potential to dramatically improve Gerrard’s side, something that has remained at odds since his death. Jack Grealish amulet for Manchester City in the summer.

Coutinho, of course, was linked with a host of Premier League clubs prior to Aston Villa’s move. Liverpool’s name is mentioned in every transfer window, although the Reds’ stance has always been the same: no interest, no chance of returning to Anfield, even though he is highly thought of by Jurgen Klopp & Co.

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He made more than 200 appearances for the Reds, scoring 54 goals, but fans also remember how he sought to design his move to Barca, demanding a transfer at the start of the 2017-18 season and ‘ back injury’ is curious. kept him out for weeks after Liverpool refused to sell.

Klopp’s team has improved after his departure. The fee received for Coutinho effectively paid for the arrivals of Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker, who will play key roles as Liverpool become champions of Europe, the world and ultimately the Premier League. . They may mourn his passing, but they don’t miss him.

One imagines that there will be a lot of difficulty when Coutinho starts doing business for Villa. Fans, pundits and observers will be keen to see how much four years at Barcelona has taken from the player, and if Gerrard can be the man to unleash that rich potential again.

If he did, then Villa could have pulled out of the chance to sign. But it is a big if.





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