Steven Gerrard addresses Coutinho to Aston Villa rumours

Barcelona outcast Philippe Coutinho has been linked with a return to the Premier League, with a move to Aston Villa being speculated quite heavily of late.

The 29-year-old is surplus to requirements at Camp Nou, and Barça have been trying hard to get him off the books. Numerous Premier League clubs have been touted as potential destinations, while there has been interest from elsewhere too.

However, recent reports seem to indicate that Coutinho is headed for Villa, where he would be reuniting with his former Liverpool teammate, Steven Gerrard. The ex-England international was recently named the manager of the Midlands club and has done well early in his tenure.

When quizzed about a potential January move for the Brazilian international, the Aston Villa boss was coy in his response. As quoted by Sky Sports, Gerrard said:

“Sixty-three caps for Brazil, a serial winner, was incredible at Liverpool, so I can understand why he’s linked to a lot of football clubs. I can understand why a lot of supporters up and down the country are speaking about him.

“I don’t think you get a nickname as a magician if you’re not a special footballer, so he’s someone I have an incredible amount of respect for. But I don’t want to add to any speculation, because he belongs to Barcelona.”

Gerrard also went on to praise the 29-year-old, insisting that he still has plenty left to offer, despite his issues at Barcelona.

“I think if you go and have a look at his Wikipedia page I think you’ll see a serial winner wherever he’s been. I’ve got nothing but positive things to say about the player, he’s a friend of mine, so if I’m asked the questions I can speak for as long as you want,” he said.

The Sky Sports report adds that Villa have made a tentative enquiry for the Barcelona midfielder, while also ruling out Liverpool and Tottenham as suitors for him. It remains to be seen where Coutinho ends up, but it certainly seems like he could be on his way out of Camp Nou shortly.