Aston Villa loanee Philippe Coutinho has played his final game in claret and blue as there is no way back for the 31-year-old under Unai Emery, according to Alan Hutton.
The Brazilian joined the ranks at Villa Park under the management of Steven Gerrard and after a bright start on loan where he scored five goals and laid on three assists in 19 matches, Villa signed him permanently for £17million [BBC Sport, 12 May 2022].
Following his permanent switch, the 31-year-old only scored once last season before Emery decided to send him and his reported £125,000 a week wages to Al-Duhail on loan for the year, where he has been similarly unremarkable [The Telegraph, 12 May 2022].
Coutinho is set to return to Villa Park at the end of the season, but Hutton believes Emery will be keen to move the Brazilian on permanently, even with the potential increased budget should Villa secure Champions League football.
“I don’t see it to be honest,” Hutton told Villa News.
“Obviously, Steven Gerrard took a punt on him a little bit and hoped that he could come in and show his form that he did when he was at the likes of Liverpool. He was on huge wages and I just can’t see it happening.
“I think that he’s somebody they’ll try to get off of the wage bill. At the age he’s at now, I don’t think it’s in him to play week in and week out against some of the top teams that are in this league.
“You have to have that energy and desire to play for Villa under Emery, the way that they play on the front foot and aggressive. I just don’t see any way back in for him.
Will Philippe Coutinho ever play for Aston Villa again under Unai Emery?
Most Villa supporters will be in agreement that signing Coutinho is one of Gerrard’s worst decisions during his tenure at Villa Park, as the Brazilian never showed enough in claret and blue to warrant his huge wages.
Emery demands so much of his attacking players and the Spanish manager was never likely to be keen on the 31-year-old’s style of play and his unremarkable loan spell in Qatar will have done little to change his mind.
With the likes of Morgan Rogers and Jacob Ramsey both impressing in attacking midfield roles this season, Coutinho no longer fits in Villa’s plans beyond the end of the season and it seems certain he will leave permanently come the end of the season.
In other Aston Villa news, Emery has been handed a brand new headache after a Ramsey update emerged at Villa Park
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