Aston Villa are confident of reaching an agreement with Barcelona over a proposed permanent transfer of Philippe Coutinho this summer, according to .
The Brazilian playmaker returned to the Premier League in January by joining Aston Villa on loan for the rest of the season, having spent five years at Liverpool before joining Barcelona in January 2018. Liverpool reinvested the money received from that deal wisely and have won almost every trophy on offer since, while Coutinho failed to deliver on the promise at Camp Nou. The loan at Villa Park is his second move away from the parent club after the 2019-20 season which he spent at Bayern Munich.
Since joining former teammate Steven Gerrard at Villa, the 29-year-old has made 15 Premier League appearances, scoring four goals and providing three assists. His contract with Barcelona is set to run until 2023, but both clubs have apparently acknowledged the talks progressing well, and Villa are close to agreeing personal terms with him too.
