Aston Villa: £125k-a-week star 'extremely disappointing' at Villa Park | OneFootball

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Aston Villa star Philippe Coutinho will look back on his Villa Park spell as being 'extremely disappointing' for a key reason after sealing a loan move to Qatari side Al-Duhail, transfer insider Dean Jones has told GIVEMESPORT.

Having splashed out in the region of £80million on fresh talent during the summer window, Villans boss Unai Emery has allowed the Brazil international to embark on a fresh challenge.

Villa have denied cash-strapped Barcelona a significant windfall, according to 90min, by allowing Coutinho to join Al-Duhail on loan for the remainder of the campaign after he fell down the pecking order in the Midlands.

The report suggests the La Liga giants would have secured cash if the creative midfielder, who had been restricted to just 24 minutes of action since the new Premier League season got underway last month, had made a permanent switch amid additional interest from Saudi Arabian big-spenders Al-Ettifaq.

It is understood that Barcelona would have received 50 per cent of the profit Villa made from offloading Coutinho as it was written into the agreement when the South American made a £17million switch from the Nou Camp after a fruitful six-month loan last year.

Turkish giants Besiktas had also shown interest by lodging a loan offer during the summer, which included an option to make the transfer permanent for £6.9million, but Villa snubbed the proposal.

Al-Duhail succeeded in reaching an agreement for Coutinho a matter of days after respected journalist Jones told GIVEMESPORT that Emery keeping him at Villa Park would be a 'waste of space'.

What has Dean Jones said about Coutinho?

Jones is in disbelief at how Coutinho has struggled to rediscover his best form at a succession of clubs, which has resulted in him having to move onto pastures new.

The reputable reporter feels the ex-Liverpool man will look back on his time at Villa as a missed opportunity to get his career back on track.

Jones told GIVEMESPORT:

Will Coutinho ever play for Villa again?

Coutinho making another Villa appearance remains a possibility as, according to Spotrac, his £125,000-per-week contract is not due to expire until the summer of 2026.

However, it is increasingly likely that the ship has sailed as Al-Duhail are likely to attempt to turn the loan deal into a permanent arrangement if he succeeds with the reigning Qatari champions or another club, such as Al-Ettifaq as former Villans chief Steven Gerrard has been keen on sealing a reunion, could come into the fray for his signature.

It is clear that Coutinho does not feature in the forefront of Emery's plans, considering he has been restricted to just 300 minutes of action since the Spanish tactician arrived in the Midlands, and the Villans' recent transfer activity could block his way into the first-team picture if he ends up heading back from the Middle East.

Moussa Diaby sealed a club-record £51.9million move from Bayer Leverkusen during the summer, and he is being seen as Villa's new creative spark.

There is no getting away from the fact that Coutinho has struggled in a Villa shirt despite costing Barcelona £146million when he joined from Liverpool in January 2018.

Emery could seal January move for Man United outcast

Transfer insider Jones recently told GIVEMESPORT that Villa could reignite their interest in Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho when the winter window opens for business at the turn of the year.

The Villans considered an approach for the 23-year-old last month, while Tottenham Hotspur also mulled over whether to swoop in, but remaining at Old Trafford has backfired.

That is because the Manchester United hierarchy have been forced to get involved in the public stand-off between Sancho and boss Erik ten Hag as, according to the Daily Mail, director John Murtough and chief executive Richard Arnold are at the centre of ongoing talks to settle the dispute.

The Dutch tactician infuriated Sancho when he insisted the England international's application during training sessions was the reason behind his absence from Manchester United's matchday squad for the trip to Arsenal earlier this month.

It has since been confirmed by the Red Devils that he will remain on a personal training programme away from the first-team group until a resolution is found, which could potentially allow Villa to profit further down the line.

Sancho is poised to leave