On-loan Aston Villa star Philippe Coutinho has expressed a willingness to take a major pay cut to facilitate a move away from Barcelona. 

The lowdown

The Brazilian moved from Camp Nou to Villa Park on a short-term deal in January, and 90min last week reported that Steven Gerrard's side have already opened talks over a permanent deal.

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However, they also revealed that the 29-year-old earns 'just shy' of £500,000 per week with the inclusion of bonuses. That far outstrips Villa's current wage ceiling, the £120,000 that they pay to Danny Ings, who earns 50% more than the next-best reimbursed players on the list.

Coutinho's £142m move to Spain in 2018 remains one of the biggest in football history, but he has struggled so much for Barcelona that he has occasionally been booed by his own fans.

The latest

Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo reported (via Birmingham Mail) that both Barcelona and Coutinho hope to negotiate a permanent exit from the Nou Camp this summer.

The La Liga club want €40m (£33.5m) for the Brazilian, which is pretty much in line with the £33m purchase option that Villa have been granted.

The report stated that 'the main obstacle' to a permanent move is Coutinho's salary, but 'club sources consulted by MD' insist that the player 'always does his part to overcome' this barrier. The 29-year-old will seemingly do what he can to ensure that an agreement can be reached with a new club.

The verdict

Coutinho is enjoying his football at Aston Villa. He said at the end of February that he is 'very happy' in the Midlands, having fulfilled his ambition to return to the Premier League.

That sense of contentment has been evident on the pitch, with the playmaker bagging four goals and laying on three assists in his first 10 appearances in claret and blue.

Significantly, his Brazil prospects have also improved following the move away from Camp Nou. Having missed out on the Selecao squad altogether in September and October and watched on from the bench in November, he has featured in each of the country's three games under Tite so far in 2022.

Coutinho knows that leaving Barcelona for good could be crucial to his World Cup ambitions, and that is yet another reason to make sacrifices in terms of his pay packet. It could be a major hurdle cleared if Villa are hopeful of sealing him on a permanent move.

In other news, could this throw a spanner in the works for Villa?