Philippe Coutinho managed to escape his Barcelona nightmare in January, coming over to Aston Villa on a loan spell with an option to buy. The Brazilian immediately made his presence felt, scoring two times and tallying two assists in his first three appearances for the club. Although Coutinho has slowed down since the Lions realized he proved to be a crucial part of their success, signing him on a permanent basis.

Via Fabrizio Romano:

Prior to coming to Aston Villa, Coutinho struggled immensely at Barca after making a big-money move from Liverpool back in 2018. He even went on loan to Bayern at one point as well, but that didn't exactly go to plan for the midfielder, either. Steven Gerrard's side are set to finish right around the middle of the pack in the Premier League, but he clearly sees Coutinho as a building block for the club in the coming years.

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The Brazil international, who will be hoping to lock down a spot in the Selecao's World Cup squad this winter, is still creative as ever and has shown the ability to score and thread a pass like nobody's business. He finished with four goals and three assists in 16 appearances for Aston Villa.

After countless years at big clubs, Coutinho now comes back to England where he previously blossomed into a star at Anfield. He looks very comfortable in his surroundings and the pressure to perform isn't like when Coutinho was at Camp Nou.

Let's hope Philippe Coutinho can keep thriving at Villa.