Aston Villa: Emery could ditch Coutinho by sealing £26m signing

Aston Villa could be set to make a move for a Barcelona youngster.

Aston Villa have enjoyed a solid start to their 2023/24 campaign, losing just once across their opening four games and while that defeat was a heavy one – going down 5-1 against Newcastle United – Unai Emery will use that as a lesson going forwards.

The Spaniard has enjoyed a productive summer transfer window, signing players such as Moussa Diaby, Pau Torres, Youri Tielemans and Nicolo Zaniolo as he aimed to improve the quality of his squad.

With just a few days left before deadline day, Emery still has the chance to bring in another player or two while moving on some deadwood, and it could be a frantic few days at Villa Park.

Who will Aston Villa sign next?

According to Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, Villa are showing interest in Barcelona winger Ez Abde ahead of deadline day, although they could face stiff competition from German side Bayer Leverkusen for his signature.

The Catalan giants value the youngster at around €30m (£26m) and much will depend on whether Emery is willing to stump up this type of fee in order to lure him to the Premier League.

Could he replace a current Villa player who appears destined for the exit door before Friday?

Is Philippe Coutinho leaving Aston Villa?

It certainly appears as though the Brazilian star is edging closer to a move away from the club, with The Daily Mail claiming that he has an offer to join Qatari champions Al-Duhail.

Having cost Steven Gerrard €20m (£17m) last summer following a loan spell where he scored five times and grabbed three assists in 19 games, the 2022/23 season was less impressive.

The youngster ranked fifth across the squad for goals and assists in the top flight (six), while also ranking third for shots on target (0.6) and first for successful dribbles per game (2.1) as he showcased his attacking talents away from the pressures of life at Barcelona.

Coutinho in comparison, ranked 12th among those at Villa for goals and assists (one), fourth for shots on target (0.4) and sixth for successful dribbles per game (0.7), failing to have any sort of impact on the team when he did play.

These statistics clearly show that the Moroccan gem had a more productive campaign than the Villa dud and given that he has yet to turn 22 means there is plenty of time for him to continue his development in England.

It could be a wonderful piece of business should Emery convince him that playing at Villa is a better proposition than starring for Barcelona, but stranger things have happened.