Aston Villa Complete Sensational Loan Signing of Barcelona Forward

• Phillipe Coutinho was heavily tipped for a return to the Premier League in the January transfer window
• The Brazilian has chosen to join West Midlands club, Aston Villa, with an official announcement now imminent
• Coutinho, 29, will join Villa on loan until the end of the season

Aston Villa have completed a sensational loan signing of Barcelona attacker Phillipe Coutinho from Barcelona.

The Brazil international has agreed to return to the Premier League on loan until the end of the season.

The deal will now see Coutinho reunite with his former teammate Steven Gerrard, currently the manager at Aston Villa.

Reports from Daily Mail indicate that Gerrard was a huge influence in Coutinho’s decision to ultimately join the Villains after the pair engaged in talks which heightened from Wednesday, January 5.

Notably, a number of clubs, including Newcastle United, had been linked with Coutinho but Gerrard’s influence proved to be the difference.

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So far this season, Coutinho has played 16 matches for the Blaugrana, scoring twice.

Villa are currently 13th in the Premier League table with a slight faltering in their form after making an exemplary start to life with Gerrard as their boss.

Gerrard replaced Dean Smith, who has since moved on to Norwich City.

Barcelona will certainly welcome Coutinho’s move back to the Premier League as it will thoroughly help their wage bill and enable them to register the likes of Ferran Torres, who recently joined the Catalan giants from Manchester City.

Aston Villa’s next game is in the FA Cup, where they will take on Manchester united, before returning to Premier League action on January 15, facing United once again.

Newcastle sign Trippier

Still on transfer news and Kieran Trippier is another former Premier League star who is back in the English top flight after Newcastle completed the Englishman’s signing for £12m.

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Tripper becomes Newcastle’s first signing since a Saudi Arabian-backed takeover was completed in October.

Interestingly, Eddie Howe, the current Newcastle boss, also signed Trippier in 2012 during his time as Burnley boss.

The 31-year old has signed a deal until the end of the 2023-24 season.