Steven Gerrard wants a permanent Coutinho deal, former Liverpool player and Aston Villa’s manager Steven Gerrard has lauded Brazilian attacking midfielder Philippe Coutinho on his impact in his team since arriving from Barcelona.
Gerrard has stated his wish to sign on-loan midfielder Phillipe Coutinho on a permanent deal, as Coutinho continues to shut the mouth of his critics since arriving England in January. Phillipe Coutinho has scored three goals and assisted three goals since he arrived Aston Villa.
“Phil was successful at Barcelona but he had difficult periods as well,” Gerrard commented on his former teammate.
“He got to the stage where he needed a change of scenery and a different movie.
“We want to be that movie for him because if we want to get to where we want to be, we need to build it around talents like Phil, because at his best he is a high-level player.
“All good teams have game-changers who the opposition are really concerned about before a ball is kicked. Phil has that status and he is giving belief to his team-mates.
“Our strikers Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings want him alongside them because he delivers on the big stage. I don’t control transfer fees or wages. All I can do is give my opinion to (sporting director) Johan Lange, (chief executive) Christian Purslow and the owners. They are watching the games and they will make the final decision. Phil has shown what he is capable of so far.”
Coutinho reunited with his former teammate who is now a manager and has since been reignited to his former form he was at before signing for Barcelona for a huge price tag of £142m but struggled season in season out.
The Midfielder had a good time when he was on a loan for Bayern Munich, where he scored 11 goals in 38 appearances. Even scoring against Barcelona when Bayern aced them 8-2 in the Champions League.
Aston Villa currently sits in the 11th position with 26 games played and seeks to tally up their position on the table. It is most likely that Manager Steven Gerrard would hand Phillipe Coutinho another start as they face Leeds United in their next outing, giving room for the Brazilian magician to show off his magic.