Summary One of Aston Villa's highest-earners are set to leave the club in the coming days. The player earns more than Ollie Watkins but has endured a rough run of form at Villa Park. He's been described as "non-existent" by former Villa star Gabby Agbonlahor.
Now that the transfer window has closed and off-field theatrics have stalled, Aston Villa can focus on the season ahead under Unai Emery.
The Villans had a strong summer to build on their success from the 2022/23 campaign, in which the Spaniard arrived in the Midlands and led the side to a European finish, however, there remains plenty for the squad to build on.
With arrivals come exits, and as the days go by following the climax of deadline day, it looks almost certain that one star will bid farewell to Villa Park before the season progresses.
Philippe Coutinho’s time in claret and blue seems to be over, with Emery confirming that the Brazilian is “close to leaving” his squad for Qatari side Al-Duhail, just a year and a half after his arrival.
What is Coutinho’s salary at Aston Villa?
Signed on an initial half-season loan that was made permanent last summer, Coutinho took a significant wage drop to join the Premier League side, however remains one of the club’s biggest earners.
Picking up an alleged pay packet of £125k-per-week, the 31-year-old is Villa’s fourth-highest earner at present, earning more than the likes of Ollie Watkins and Douglas Luiz.
The former Liverpool sensation picks up a staggering £6.5m a year on his contract in the Midlands, which is an alarmingly high figure considering the lack of impact he’s had since arriving back in England.
Does Coutinho deserve to earn so much?
When revising the impact of Watkins and Luiz, who contributed to 33 goals between them in the 2022/23 Premier League campaign, Coutinho’s weekly earnings are unjustified.
There’s no denying the player that Villa thought they could unlock, a talent that was purchased by Barcelona for £146m back in 2018 due to his level of performance in England whilst on Merseyside.
It simply hasn’t happened for the attacker at Villa Park, scoring just once in the league last season, making 20 appearances and battling injury and poor form in between.
Prior to Emery’s arrival, the Brazilian was slammed by club legend Gabriel Agbonlahor for his dreary displays, with the former striker dubbing him as “non-existent” under Steven Gerrard, via talkSPORT.
It’s a shame for both player and club that things didn’t work out as hoped, considering the midfielder's impeccable track record, in which he had a hand in 78 Premier League goals in 152 league appearances for the Reds.
Lauded as having “magical powers” by former Liverpool teammate Roberto Firmino, the calibre of player signed by Gerrard was never questioned, however, the issue remains that he has not translated his form in claret and blue.
£125k-per-week is an extortionate amount of money for an individual not contributing or performing to the level expected, particularly when those excelling at his level are earning considerably less.
Setting injury troubles aside, when in action, the 31-year-old has failed to produce the moments of magic typical of his style when at Anfield.
As per Sofascore, last season the Champions League winner averaged a match rating of 6.66 per game in the Premier League, communicating just how dull his performances have been when involved in the action.
With a departure imminent, Villa will soon be freed of the £125k-per-week expense to fund the Brazilian’s talent, with a chance to look back on the deal and hope to not replicate it in the future.