David James has claimed that he is ‘not a fan’ of loan players, as he made reference to Philippe Coutinho at Aston Villa, as he told the Football Show on Sky Sports.
Will Aston Villa sign Coutinho from Barcelona on a permanent basis?
Well, it seems as though Coutinho will be donning Villa colours in the long term and he will be part of Steven Gerrard’s European chase next season.
It has been claimed that Villa are set to sign the former Liverpool man from Barcelona for £17 million – beating Newcastle United to his signature.
Either way, this is a serious statement of intent from the Midlands side, who will be pushing for a top-six finish next term.
Former England goalkeeper James certainly thinks Coutinho can be a ‘create a positive impact’ for Villa if he is at the club next season.
“I am not a fan of loan players because you always question what their motive is,” said James. “You also question, depending on how successful they are, what you do to replace them.
“Stevie has been talking about keeping Coutinho for next season – if he can get the fitness, from the games I have seen, at the 60th-minute mark, all of a sudden his fitness isn’t at the level you want it to be.
“Some of the assists and goals have been exceptional. He was part of the reason Villa were looking to challenge for those lower European places.
“Get a good pre-season under your belt, then Stevie G has got a positive player that can create a positive impact for Aston Villa next season.”
Villa have to sign Coutinho because he improves their chances of securing a top-six finish next season.
Added with a pre-season, on top of improving his fitness even further, this Midlands side might finally reach its level.
The start of the season for Villa was chaotic, with Jack Grealish leaving and then Dean Smith getting sacked.
But, during these past few months, Gerrard would have used the opportunity to see what he does and doesn’t like.
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