Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard has admitted that he actually likes that other clubs will be rivalling him for playmaker Philippe Coutinho.
Villa pulled off a major coup in the January transfer window by securing Coutinho on loan from Barcelona.
Make no mistake about it, the main reason Coutinho even considered signing for Villa was the fact it meant a reunion with Gerrard.
The pair played together at Liverpool and having struggled at Barcelona, Coutinho needed to be loved again.
Coutinho was never going to be anywhere close to the main man at Barcelona, and he ended up fading into the background at the Camp Nou.
Now with Villa, Coutinho is the undoubted star attraction of Gerrard’s side.
In seven outings for Villa, Coutinho already has three goals and three assists whilst producing 10 key passes and seven shots on target.
Add in 11 successful dribbles and Coutinho is showing many of the traits that made him such a Premier League star with Liverpool in the first place.
The problem for Villa is that the Brazilian magician is only on loan at Villa Park and, as things stand, will be returning to Barcelona this summer.
Barcelona are understood to be seeking a fee of around £34million for Coutinho, leaving the ball in Villa’s court.
You want Coutinho permanently? Better pay up the cash then. Villa have an option to buy in their loan but may face some rival interest.
After showing signs of getting back to his best at Villa, it’s almost natural that other Premier League teams will battle Villa for Coutinho signature.
That doesn’t seem to be bothering Gerrard though; instead, the Villa boss actually seems to love it.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Gerrard has admitted that it might be strange but he wants other teams to be targeting Coutinho.
At the end of the day, rival interest means Coutinho is playing well and thriving in a Villa shirt – which Gerrard hopes continues beyond this season.
“If a lot of people are looking at him because of his form for Villa, that’s what I want, in a strange way,” said Gerrard. “I’d have taken that on the day we signed him. We’ve got an option on Phil at the end of the season and we’ll make the decision when the time is right. The key for me is the player. He seems really happy and settled.”
“People have worked so hard to help feel comfortable here and he’s playing some of his best football because of the job the club have done to make him feel welcome and help him find his football happiness again,” he added.
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