“I spoke a lot with Steven Gerrard, it’s a pleasure to be here" - Philippe Coutinho on signing for Aston Villa

Philippe Coutinho has joined Aston Villa on loan, hoping to refind his magic touch in the Premier League - a place where he developed into a superstar.

Barcelona's attacking midfielder has arrived on loan until the end of the season to improve the West Midlands' side.

The Brazilian's current contract also includes an option to buy. Coutinho is excited about reuniting with his former Liverpool team-mate and current Villa manager, Steven Gerrard. His relationship with Gerrard was one of the pivotal factors behind this move's materialization.

“It’s a pleasure to be here; it’s a great club. I spoke a lot with the manager, with Stevie, and he told me about the club and his ambitions. I’m very happy to be here and I'm looking to enjoy my football. I’ve known Stevie for a long time. I played with him and I learned a lot from him. He’s someone who I have big admiration for. I hope to do my best here. For sure, I will work hard, and I hope together we can do good work.” - Philippe Coutinho via VillaTV.

Sadly, Coutinho has been a burden for Barcelona throughout this stint. After his anticipatory transfer from Liverpool in 2018, he has failed to live up to his transfer tag. His transfer fee reportedly was an initial £105 million, which could have risen to £142 million with various clauses.

Aston Villa's big gamble with Coutinho

It was a critical decision for Coutinho to leave Nou Camp, where he would have received limited opportunities throughout the season. The Brazilian international is hoping to get picked for the approaching FIFA World Cup in Qatar later this year. Coutinho has over 60 caps for his country and won the Copa América in 2019 with Brazil.

Choosing Villa could reward him with a chance to put in a string of impressive performances. The side has struggled despite making ambitious signings throughout both the transfer windows. The Claret & Blue Army will be measuring Coutinho's output to their former captain Jack Grealish, who left last summer for Manchester City.

“I’m looking forward to meeting the fans, to being on the pitch. I know and I feel that they’re happy that I’m here, I want to repay that on the pitch and enjoy my football. I’m looking forward to being on the pitch. I always want to be at my best, doing my work. That’s what I work hard for every day. I hope it will be a great rest of the season here.” - Coutinho added.

The challenge is difficult as Grealish has left massive shoes to fill in the attacking department at Villa. However, Coutinho has better overall credentials than the Englishman. So, the Villans will be cautiously optimistic about what transpires from this move.

Can a struggling Coutinho take the whole league by storm? Only time will tell if the misfiring 29-year-old will benefit from this spell at Villa Park. The opportunity is there for the Rio de Janeiro native to bring back his derailed career (flagged with injuries) back on track.