Unai Emery has confirmed that Philippe Coutinho is close to leaving Aston Villa.
Speaking at his press conference this afternoon, Unai Emery stated that Philippe Coutinho is likely to leave Aston Villa.
When asked if a deal to take the Brazilian playmaker away from Villa Park has already been done, the Spanish coach said, “he is close to leaving, but we are waiting if the deal is completed or not,” as quoted by Football Daily.
Coutinho has been linked with a number of clubs. According to Fabrizio Romano, Real Betis of Spain, and Turkish outfit Besiktas have shown an interest, but it is the player’s preference to join Al Duhail in Qatar.
Aston Villa certainly won’t stand in his way. The Midlands outfit signed Coutinho on a permanent basis for £17 million in the summer of 2022, having initially taken him on a six month loan from Barcelona.
Since then, though, Aston Villa have only seen the 31-year-old’s quality in flashes. On top of that, fitness issues have been a factor. The time is now right for the club to clear his £125,000-a-week wages off the books. The club are on the up, and Coutinho’s best days are very much behind him.
Aston Villa ready to cut Coutinho
Emery certainly has the depth in his squad to cope without Coutinho. Emi Buendia, and summer signings Youri Tielemans and Moussa Diaby offer enough creativity and flair for the 68-cap Brazil international to be deemed surplus to requirements.
Whether Aston Villa will be able to attract a fee for Coutinho remains to be seen. There is a chance that the club sanction his exit on a free transfer in order to relieve themselves of the burden of his wages, as a last resort.
As for Coutinho, he will be hoping to play regularly in Qatar, and take advantage of the slower pace of the game there, if that is indeed where he ends up.
