Who would have thought that Philippe Coutinho, the third-most expensive footballer on the planet after his €160 million move to Barcelona from Liverpool in 2018, would sign for mid-table Aston Villa? Put it down to the magnetism of new Villa manager Steven Gerrard and his belief that the Brazilian midfielder can sprinkle stardust in England once again. But can he?
Since escaping what had become a nightmare at Barcelona, Coutinho has made a dream debut for Villa, with a goal in their comeback to draw 2-2 with Manchester United and then helping them to a win at Everton.