Gerrard: Aston Villa want Philippe Coutinho to stay

Aston Villa head coach Steven Gerrard is keen for Philippe Coutinho to stay at the club beyond this season, as Barcelona look to sell players.

Coutinho is on loan at Aston Villa and his contract at Barcelona ends in June 2023. However, to accommodate for new signings, Barcelona will need to get rid of a number of players, which is likely to include Coutinho.

"We want Coutinho here for sure," Gerrard told the press, before going on to discuss the Brazilian's playing time.

"We have five games in 15 days so Phil and Emi [Emiliano Buendia] will both get enough game time to keep themselves satisfied.

"As a club, we want to be in a place where games come thick and fast.

"Phil understood the decision, he has played a lot. There are no egos here."

Coutinho's return to the Premier League

The Brazilian quickly rediscovered some of his best form when he joined Aston Villa in the January transfer window.

Coutinho has played 15 games for Aston Villa, scoring four goals and providing three assists. At Barcelona, he featured in 16 matches and found the back of the net just twice.

Barcelona are hoping to sell Coutinho for 40 million euros and are in negotiations with Aston Villa regarding the playmaker's future.

The Catalan club are planning next season without Coutinho present at the club. While they will make a net loss with the 29-year-old, after he joined Blaugrana for 120m euros in 2018 and failed to deliver, it's better for both parties if they go their separate ways.