Aston Villa face a difficult scenario with PSR this summer as Unai Emery prepares to offload several big talents.
The summer transfer window has got off to a flying start at Villa Park, as Unai Emery and Monchi prepare to sanction their first deal.
Due to Aston Villa’s PSR concerns, Douglas Luiz looks set to join Juventus as part of a swap deal that will see Samuel Iling-Junior and Weston McKennie arrive in the Premier League.
While Luiz’s future has taken centre stage regarding the club’s aim to relieve PSR woes, it’s now understood that another player’s future is in jeopardy as a result.
Aston Villa must offload Philippe Coutinho to aid PSR concerns
It’s easy to forget that Philippe Coutinho is still an Aston Villa player, as the Brazilian hasn’t featured in claret and blue since August 2023.
The former Liverpool marvel went on loan to Qatari club Al-Duhail last summer, and will soon return to Villa Park.
While the 32-year-old has been linked with a move to Vasco da Gama, The Athletic has now reported that the player leaving on loan isn’t what Villa are looking for.
The report states that due to PSR concerns, Villa are exploring the possibility of terminating the midfielder’s contract to lower their wage bill, something that will ease PSR.
The Athletic details that cutting high wages is one way for Villa to ‘alleviate PSR regulations’, adding that the former Barcelona outsider earns £135k-a-week at Villa Park.
Given that Coutinho clearly isn’t part of Emery’s plans, it makes sense to part ways with the former Brazil international permanently, as PSR concerns loom over B6.
Coutinho must be axed this summer
Interestingly, The Athletic also claim that there are ‘doubts’ at Villa that Coutinho could even complete a full game at Premier League level, telling of the extent of his fall from grace.
Once lauded as ‘world-class’ by former Villa boss Steven Gerrard, the ex-Liverpool dynamo has declined significantly since his staggering £142m move to Barcelona in 2018.
Getting Coutinho off the wage book is essential this summer, particularly considering that first-team regulars are also facing an uncertain future at the club as a result of PSR.
Cutting the 32-year-old away from Villa may be easier said than done however, as earlier this month, it was reported that Vasco da Gama sees the ‘most likely’ way of capturing Coutinho being on loan.
It’s poised to be a busy summer full of decisions fuelled by PSR fears, with Coutinho’s future at Villa surely over.
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