According to InterLive.it, Aston Villa is considering replacing Philippe Coutinho in January. In the summer, the Brazilian made a permanent move to the team.
In 19 games while his loan from Barcelona to the Midlands, Coutinho had a productive season, scoring five goals and dishing out three assists. He only managed six starts and zero goal contributions in the league this season, and his form gradually deteriorated. The midfielder's situation only got worse as he missed the World Cup in addition to missing Villa's previous three games due to a hamstring injury, though it seems unlikely that his performance would have earned him a spot in Tite's squad.
According to the source, Aston Villa is reportedly considering replacing Coutinho with Inter Milan's Hakan Calhanoglu in order to strengthen their attack. The Premier League team is rumoured to be willing to 'gladly' employ the Brazilian in an exchange deal to persuade Inter to offload the 28-year-old in January.
Calhanoglu moved to the Italian powerhouse on a free transfer from their bitter rivals AC Milan last summer, and he went on to excel, contributing to 19 goals in Serie A. He has since carried his form into the 2022–23 season, scoring twice and grabbing four assists in 14 games, as well as providing the lone goal in their victory over Barcelona last month.
Villa clearly sees the Turkish player as an improvement over the floundering Coutinho, and it is thought that he would fit Unai Emery's desired playing style. However, Inter Milan seems less interested in a swap deal. Due to Coutinho's hefty salaries, the Serie A team is apparently not even contemplating the transfer. When he joined Villa, the former Barcelona star quickly rose to the position of one of the team's highest paid players, earning an estimated £125,000 per week.
Since neither Coutinho nor Calhanoglu will be at the World Cup this winter, Emery's team will undoubtedly try to entice them into a potential trade. However, it is unknown whether they would consider dropping Coutinho and spending the money on Calhanoglu instead. If the midfielder decides not to extend his stay with Inter Milan, his contract at the San Siro will expire in 2024 and he may be made available for less money the following summer.