Official: Aston Villa complete the permanent signing of Philippe Coutinho from Barcelona

Aston Villa have announced the permanent signing of Philippe Coutinho from Barcelona for €20 million, as was posted in an official statement by Barcelona.

? BREAKING NEWS ?

FC Barcelona and Aston Villa have reached an agreement to transfer Philippe Coutinho for 20 million euros

? All the details: https://t.co/czrYc33wzX pic.twitter.com/G5NN56FgQh

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) May 12, 2022

The Brazilian had moved to Villa on a six-month loan in January with an option to purchase him for €40 million. However, the price tag was deemed too large for the English outfit.

It is interesting to note that while Villa have not disclosed the transfer fee in their statement, Barcelona have made sure to reveal it. Further, the official statement also confirmed that the Catalans have retained a 50% sell-on clause for any future sale.

Coutinho has contributed with four goals and three assists in his short time at Villa Park, but it seems that was enough to convince manager Steven Gerrard, who openly spoke about his desire to sign the midfielder at the end of the season.

“This is a brilliant signing for Aston Villa. Phil is a model professional and his impact on the group has been very clear since he joined in January,” Gerrard said speaking about the signing.