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The Brazilian Corinthians wants to sign Philippe Coutinho, his club president reveals, with the Aston Villa star yet to start a game with new boss Unai Emery, but admits it’s “a very difficult deal.”
Brazilian club Corinthians are pushing to sign Aston Villa midfielder Philippe Coutinho on loan this year.
The former Liverpool and Barcelona player joined Villa permanently for £17m in the summer of 2022 after a successful loan spell, but Corinthians are keen to bring the Brazilian back to his homeland.
He has yet to score a goal or provide an assist for the Villains in 16 appearances this season, while also picking up a muscle injury that ruled him out of Brazil’s World Cup squad. It is believed that such struggles may encourage Coutinho to leave Villa for Brazilian football.
Aston Villa midfielder Philippe Coutinho is wanted on loan by Brazilian club Corinthians
As reported by the Spanish outlet Sport, the president of Corinthians, Duilio Monteiro Alves, said: ‘The contact exists and the desire is there, but it is a very difficult deal.
“We want the player on loan, but as long as the transfer window in Europe is open, everything is very difficult. It is still a very premature operation, but we have to try.’
The club is negotiating with Aston Villa and the player’s representation, with a view to closing a deal in the coming months.
The president of Corinthians, Duilio Monteiro Alves, revealed that they started talks with Coutinho
Brazilian regulations could allow Coutinho to join Corinthians outside of the January transfer window in Europe, although Villa would not be able to buy a replacement if he wanted to.
However, new manager Unai Emery hasn’t included Coutinho in his starting line-ups since he took over, and he doesn’t trust the 30-year-old Rio de Janeiro to fill out his team numbers, especially due to his lack. form and injury problems so far this season.
Barcelona would reap some of the benefits if Aston Villa pulled through with a quick sale of Coutinho.
Coutinho’s club Barcelona would reap some of the benefits if Aston Villa decided to sell
Alves also revealed that Corinthians were on the hunt for Cristiano Ronaldo after his acrimonious departure from Manchester United, offering the Portuguese star the same salary he earned with the Red Devils.
However, the 37-year-old opted to move to Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr, where he will earn a whopping £175m a year, 20 times more than his Old Trafford pay package, and the proposed income he would have made. with Corinthians.
Corinthians finished fourth in the Brazilian top flight last year. Under new coach Fernando Lázaro, his new campaign begins in April.
However, competitive matches return imminently with Sao Paulo’s 16-team first division league kicking off on January 15.