Aston Villa transfer news: Galatasaray eye late winter swoop for Villa star

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Galatasaray are reportedly interested in a late winter window swoop to sign Aston Villa playmaker Philippe Coutinho, with the Brazilian international regularly linked with a move in January.

According to the Sun, the Turkish giants are lining up a loan bid to sign Coutinho before the closure of their transfer window this Wednesday, with Villa seemingly open to the idea of offloading the South American given his £125,000-a-week contract.

Coutinho is one of VIlla’s biggest earners. Yet, under Unai Emery, the former FC Barcelona star has struggled to impress and is yet to start a single Premier League match, with the Villians flying under the Spanish coach since his appointment.

As a result, a move away from Villa Park could be ideal for Coutinho, and Galatasaray are now interested in signing the 30-year-old, with the Istanbul-based side already having the likes of Mauro Icardi, Lucas Torreira and Juan Mata on their books.

Indeed, Galatasaray have been exceptional this season as they currently sit top of the Turkish Super Lig, and for Coutinho, signing for Gala might not be as bad a career move as it first appears, with the playmaker in desperate need of regular playing time.

Lauded as ‘magic’ by new Villa signing Jhon Duran, Coutinho still has the ability and the potential to flourish in the Premier League. However, with Emery clearly not a fan of the attacking midfielder, a loan move to Turkey with Galatasaray could be a smart move from the former Liverpool star.

Coutinho signing for Galatasaray on loan might be worth the risk

Premier League talents heading to Turkey to revive their career is a double-edge sword for most players, and for Coutinho, there could be some risk in signing for a club like Galatasaray given what has happened to the likes of Dele Alli.

However, given how driven the Brazilian is and how keen Coutinho will be to make an impact, the attacker could make a sensational impact with Gala if he decides to take the risk and sign for the club on loan, with Emery seemingly not keen on the playmaker for the time being.