Aston Villa correspondent Ashley Preece has dropped a major update on Philippe Coutinho’s Villa Park future.

The Lowdown: Coutinho’s loan spell

Coutinho was Steven Gerrard’s first signing as Villa boss back in January, with the playmaker penning a loan deal until the end of the season from Barcelona.

Villa managed to negotiate an option to make a move permanent in the summer, which is thought to be in the region of £33.4m.

The 29-year-old has made 13 appearances in a Villa shirt, contributing to seven goals while playing on both wings and as an attacking midfielder.

The Latest: Preece’s reveal

Preece dropped a Birmingham Live Q&A in a story on Thursday morning, discussing a variety of Villa topics.

One of those was on Coutinho, with a fan asking Preece how likely a permanent deal was. This is what he had to say in reply, sharing a positive update.

“Coutinho deal is, I'm told, likely to go through. Just a case of dotting Is and crossing Ts.”

The Verdict: A relief

Coutinho has impressed since making the move to the Midlands, which has resulted in interest from the likes of Newcastle United, Tottenham Arsenal and West Ham.

Villa may have been slightly worried over a permanent move despite having an option to buy at the end of the season due to the growing interest.

Therefore, Preece’s update is a relief heading into Gerrard’s first full season, and the Villa boss will more than likely be delighted, as he confirmed he wanted to make a move permanent last month.

In other news: Gerrard now happy for ace to leave Villa Park; he's 'central to a lot of the problems'.