Aston Villa ‘play hard ball' on Philippe Coutinho fee
Villa could ask Barcelona to halve their £33million fee for playmaker Philippe Coutinho, according to reports in Spain.
The 29-year-old joined Villa in a loan move January in a deal which has a purchase option included.
But reports in the Catalan city claim Villa could seek to have the transfer fee reduced as they will have to take on the Brazilian’s huge wages.
The reports in the Barcelona-based publication SPORT claims Villa are among a number of clubs intent on driving a hard bargain with the La Liga giants who still face a huge battle to balance their books following a series of financial shocks at the Camp Nou.
Coutinho has scored four goals since his arrival at Villa Park but, despite sparkling in some games, his performances have been inconsistent.
