Philippe Coutinho: Pundit stunned by Aston Villa star after ‘£25m’ development
Philippe Coutinho will agree to take a significant wage cut so he can sign for Aston Villa permanently.
That’s according to former Leeds United stopper Paddy Kenny, speaking exclusively to Football Insider about the “brilliant” star.
The Telegraph reported on Wednesday (9 March) Coutinho faces having to take a significant cut to his £480,000-a-week wages if he is to join Villa permanently.
The Brazilian joined the Villains on loan from Barcelona in January and had made seven appearances in the Premier League so far.
He has registered three goals and three assists in those outings.
Kenny insists Coutinho will agree to a wage cut after making an impressive start to life at Villa Park.
“That’s just ridiculous, when I read that I thought, wow’,” Kenny told Football Insider correspondent Ben Wild.
“That’s, what, £25million-per-year on wages? If he’s enjoying his time at Villa then you would like to think he could reduce those wages.
“He must have earned so much money from Barcelona. All that will happen if he won’t reduce them is he will go back to sitting on the bench at Barcelona.
“Professional pride has to come into it at some point, you would like to think he will want to play as much as possible.
“He won’t get those wages anywhere else. He’s brilliant and Villa can still pay him a fair amount.
“But this will have been discussed when they signed him, Villa know about this.
“So I don’t think it will be an issue if they want to sign him.”
In other news, Kieran Maguire has saluted Aston Villa after a ‘fantastic’ £56million document reveal.