‘Very difficult’: President not giving up on signing £17m Aston Villa ace

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Corinthians president Duilio Monteiro Alves has confirmed his interest in signing Philippe Coutinho from Premier League outfit Aston Villa but admits it is a ‘very difficult’ deal to do, speaking to Brazilian publication Band. 

Just last week, Coutinho’s representative reportedly told Jorge Nicola that a return to Brazil was ‘practically impossible’ during the January transfer window. Not only does the former Barcelona misfit hope to stay this side of the Atlantic, his eye-watering £125,000-a-week wages make any negotiation with Corinthians all the more, well, to quote Alves, ‘difficult’. 

The Corinthians president is not giving up just yet, however. If you don’t ask, you very rarely get after all. 

Philippe Coutinho facing uncertain future at Unai Emery’s Aston Villa

“There is a conversation. There is the will (to make the move happen). But it’s a very difficult business,” Alves explains. 

“Corinthians wants to borrow (loan). It is very difficult. It’s still very premature but you have to try.

“You can’t know (whether we can afford Coutinho). It depends a lot. We don’t have an open negotiation with the club, it will depend a lot on what they may have on offer. But, if the deal goes through, we are in a position to bring him in.”

Coutinho, who joined Aston Villa in a £17 million deal following an impressive loan spell in the Midlands, has not scored a goal nor provided an assists so far this season. He was underwhelming once again in Sunday’s 2-1 FA Cup defeat to fourth-tier Stevenage; hauled off by head coach Unai Emery with just over an hour on the clock. 

“He didn’t do enough for me,” former Aston Villa striker Dion Dublin told the BBC. “Listen, we are always going to say ‘he didn’t do enough’ because he is so good. And he has the potential to be so good. 

“But he wasn’t very effective today, I would say. Not very effective at all. Expected more and I wanted more.

“I signed for Villa at 30, so there is plenty of life left in Coutinho yet. He might not be too happy, at the moment, but I think it’s all about application and it’s all about body language. It’s all about playing for the team.”