Philippe Coutinho, Aston Villa midfielder, has declined a transfer offer from Corinthians and will stay with Aston Villa, according to Sky Sports.
Corinthians expressed interest in Coutinho due to his limited playing time at Villa, but he has no intention of leaving his current club. In his 17 Premier League appearances, Coutinho has only started six and failed to provide any goals or assists. Since Unai Emery took over as manager, Coutinho has not started a match and has only played 90 minutes in five games.
Coutinho was signed from Barcelona last May for £17 million and has a contract with Villa until 2026. Despite not having much playing time, he still earns £125k a week. Corinthians will continue to monitor Coutinho for the summer transfer window, but for now, he will remain at Villa Park for the rest of the season.
The Brazilian playmaker had a productive loan spell at Villa, scoring five goals and providing three assists, but he struggled to replicate that form when he returned as a permanent transfer. Villa manager Emery has not been impressed with Coutinho's performance and substituted him early in a recent FA Cup loss to Stevenage. Despite being called "world-class" by former manager Steven Gerrard, Coutinho needs to step up his game to secure his place in the Villa lineup.