Aston Villa are in talks to terminate attacking midfielder Phillpe Coutinho’s contract.
The 32-year-old joined Qatari side Al-Duhail last summer after falling out of favour at Villa Park. The club and player are trying to reach a mutual agreement and are taking Coutinho’s preference into consideration.
The Brazillian made two Premier League appearances in August before moving to Qatar, where he went on to score seven goals and provide three assists in 22 games.
He has been in talks to rejoin former club Vasco da Gama back in Brazil, but any transfer could only be facilitated by free agency.
Coutinho moved to Villa initially on loan from Barcelona in January 2022, before the transfer was made permanent in July 2022. He signed a four-year contract.
His move from Liverpool to Barcelona in 2018 remains the third-most expensive signing in football history behind Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, both to Paris Saint-Germain.
He has not added to his 68 Brazil caps since June 2022 and was not selected for their 2024 Copa America squad.
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Coutinho has cost Villa a fortune and returns have not been worth it
Coutinho departure necessary for PSR worries
Removing high earners is one way for Villa to alleviate PSR regulations and remove a high earner.
Coutinho is among Villa’s highest earners at around £135,000 a week and still has two years left to run on his contract.
Before his loan last season, there were doubts at Villa as to whether Coutinho could last a full game at Premier League intensity and especially under the type of remit Emery expects.
Villa are well stocked in the No 10 positions, wanting a more physical and robust ball carrier.
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