Philippe Coutinho, the attacking midfielder for Aston Villa, is slated to leave the club soon
Aston Villa offensive midfielder Philippe Coutinho is “a waste of space” in the squad, according to transfer insider Dean Jones, who gives GIVEMESPORT his opinion on the flop’s future at Villa Park.
Unai Emery, Villans’ head coach, is content to let the attacking midfielder leave the club in the coming days.
Philippe Coutinho Emery acknowledged in his pre-match press conference ahead of last weekend’s 3-0 defeat at Liverpool that Coutinho was on the verge of leaving Villa, with a deal to Qatari team Al Duhail looming.
“He (Coutinho) is on the verge of leaving, but we’re waiting to see if the deal is finalised.” Philippe is a very decent person, and we must always treat him as a person first and foremost,” Emery added (via BirminghamLive).
“Secondly, as a player, he has performed at a high level.” He has not been consistent due to injuries, and we decided after consulting with him and agreeing with him that if anything is beneficial for him, the club, and the squad, we can let him go. Then he’ll be able to find his best performance as a player. Then it’s up to him whether he finishes it or not.”
Coutinho joined Villa Park on a permanent basis last summer for £17 million after a successful loan spell in the second half of the 2021/22 season. However, the former Liverpool star has failed to match his first-half performance and has fallen behind Emery’s developing Villans squad.
What did Jones have to say about Aston Villa and Coutinho?
Jones believes Coutinho will be a “let down” if he remains at Villa after the remaining transfer windows close across the world, having failed to make an effect on the squad.
“I think Coutinho still has the potential to leave Aston Villa,” a transfer insider told GIVEMESPORT. If Coutinho remains a Villa player after all other transfer windows have closed, it will be a disappointment. He’s a player who is currently a waste of space around the squad. He’s a big name on big money, but he’s not making a significant influence on the team, which you can’t afford.
“Villa are looking to build something new right now, and because of the freshness of everything else, I feel like having somebody who’s gone stale like Coutinho won’t help the squad at all.”
What happens next for Aston Villa?
TalkSPORT reporter Alex Crook told GIVEMESPORT that Coutinho’s exit before Deadline Day may have freed up space for the Villans to sign another attacking player this summer. However, because the club failed to sanction a transfer in time, Emery will have to wait until January to boost his forward line.
The Spanish head coach hopes to solve the on-field flaws that contributed to Villa’s 3-0 loss at Liverpool last weekend, after triumphs over Everton and Burnley the week before. The former European Cup winner
