Coutinho set for permanent Aston Villa transfer

Philippe Coutinho has dropped the biggest hint yet that he will stay at Aston Villa on a permanent basis. The Brazilian attacking midfielder, who has joined Villa on loan from Barcelona, has 18 months remaining on his deal in Spain but has told reporters that he wants to return to England.

Coutinho quipped: "I'm enjoying my football again. I am very happy here."

It is understood that Aston Villa manager Gerrard has managed to secure a £25 million permanent transfer arrangement at the end of the season.

The former England midfielder told reporters: “It was about getting him enjoying his football again, enjoying being around the boys, smiling and really looking forward to playing.

“You can see in his performance that he feels like this is his stage again.

“He was desperate to come back to the Premier League and we’ve given him everything he needs to go out there and perform.

“For me, the good thing about Phil is he’s so humble, so level-headed, he’s so grounded that you wouldn’t think you were dealing with a world-class star like him if you spoke to him day-to-day. He’s just a great human being.”

There are rumours that Manchester United could also table a rival bid for Coutinho at the end of the current campaign.