This summer, reports claim that Philippe Coutinho is considering two permanent moves to the Premier League, but Newcastle United isn’t among them.
After a successful loan spell at Aston Villa, the Brazilian playmaker is expected to be in high demand in the summer transfer window.
Coutinho has netted four goals and provided three assists in 10 outings since joining Villa Park in January.
Coutinho’s exorbitant wages have cast doubt on Villa’s ability to make his loan from Barca permanent for £33 million in the summer.
“When we set out in January to ask Barcelona that we’d like to move, the Premier League it was, we weren’t really considering other leagues,” Joorabchian told talkSPORT in January. “This is a league that he’s feeling most comfortable in, he really wanted to come back, he misses it.
“He played in the Bundesliga, he had a great season and won the Champions League, won the league, he had a great experience in the Bundesliga, he’s had a good experience in La Liga, won multiple leagues, cups. But ultimately the Premier League, the intensity and the way the game is played here, that’s the way that he wants to move forward.”
It has been reported that the 29-year-old Barcelona midfielder makes £480,000 a week.
Mega-rich Coutinho has reportedly been linked with a move to Newcastle, but Mundo Deportivo claims he isn’t interested. Instead, Villa or Arsenal are rumored to be interested in signing Coutinho long-term.
Coutinho’s agent, Kia Joorabchian, has done numerous bargains with Arsenal over the past few years, making him a popular target for Arsenal. Michael Arteta’s team is also expected to finish in Champions League contention this year.
No matter where he goes, Coutinho will have to take a pay cut, and Joorabchian has already hinted that the Premier League is where his client sees his long-term future.
