Steven Gerrard says Aston Villa will not be rushed into firming up a permanent deal for Philippe Coutinho despite the Brazilian's increasingly impressive role in his side's surge up the Premier League table.
Coutinho has one more year to run on his existing contract at Barcelona and Gerrard has already made no secret of his desire to secure the 29-year-old's services beyond the end of the current campaign, with the club already holding the option to buy the attacking midfielder for £33.4 million.
If the former Liverpool star wants to sign for Villa, he faces having to take a significant cut to his £480,000-a-week wages.