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Philippe Coutinho: Agbonlahor verdict on Aston Villa deal being hijacked by Arsenal after confirmed news
Phillipe Coutinho’s relationship with Steven Gerrard will see Aston Villa beat competition from other sides to sign him permanently in the summer.
That is the view of Aston Villa’s record Premier League goalscorer Gabby Agbonlahor, speaking exclusively to Football Insider about Coutinho’s long-term future.
The Midlands giants have an option to convert the 29-year-old’s loan deal into a permanent move in the summer.
He is beginning to look back to his best and he already has seven goal contributions in nine Premier League games.
That has led to speculation that other clubs may try and hijack a potential permanent move to Villa Park.
As quoted by football.london today (18 March), Mikel Arteta refused to confirm the Brazilian was not a transfer target in the past.
“Sometimes other clubs can be interested but when you’ve got a relationship with a manager that’s bigger than anything else,” Agbonlahor told Football Insider correspondent Connor Whitley.
“A manager who understands your game, a manager who knows how to play to get the best out of you, a manager who knows how to manage your body and rest. That’s what you really want as a player.
“His relationship with Gerrard and the chance that Villa have given him to get back to his best form, I really do think he will sign permanently.”
Coutinho and Gerrard played together at Liverpool for two-and-a-half-years before Gerrard left for LA Galaxy in the summer of 2015.
Coutinho spent another two-and-a-half-years at Anfield before moving to Barcelona for £142million – the second-most expensive transfer ever at the time.
In other news, Brighton & Hove Albion have set their sights on signing a £25million Aston Villa star this summer.