According to a recent report from Birmingham Live, Phillipe Coutinho has asked for a transfer as his future at Villa Park remains uncertain. The Brazilian forward has been struggling with his form this season and is keen on making an exit as Corinthians from the Brazilian Serie A would like to take him back to his homeland although his wages remain a hurdle in the deal.
Coutinho’s Disappointing Numbers At Aston Villa This Season
Coutinho is yet to contribute at Villa Park so far as the Brazilian sensation struggles to find the back of the net or produce assists even after making 12 appearances for the Villans this season.
The Rio de Janeiro-born player has caught the eye at times but is only averaging 1.3 shots, 0.5 key passes and 0.9 dribbles per 90 minutes in the Premier League. However, he has been careful when distributing the ball in the opponent’s half after completing 82.4% of his attempted passes in the English top tier (stats via whoscored).
Should Emery Sanction His Exit From Villa Park?
The Brazilian ace first joined the club on a loan switch from Barcelona in January and then made his stay at Villa Park permanent in the summer after Aston Villa paid a fee in the region of £17 million to the Spanish giants.
Coutinho remains an outstanding dribbler with the ball at his feet and excels at keeping possession moving in tight spaces. He has got the vision to cut open the opposition’s defence with a decisive pass in the final third and can strike the ball with venom and precision from long range.
However, injuries have derailed Coutinho’s progress in the past as he struggles to be productive in the final third and thus he has evidently fallen below the pecking order under Unai Emery.
Steven Gerrard had expected Coutinho to play a big role in the squad over the next few years and help Villa push for European football in the coming seasons but his current showings have only made it doubtful that he has what it takes to continue at Villa Park.
The former Liverpool talent needs to be more consistent if he wants to maintain his status as a regular starter in top-flight football. With all things considered, if Coutinho has made up his mind about making an exit then Emery should put him up for transfer and try to recoup whatever he can from selling him instead of keeping him for the remainder of this season.
