Aston Villa completed Coutinho’s loan move from Barcelona

Philippe Coutinho

had a hard time finding game time under the reign of

Ronald Koeman

and

Xavi

was eager to depart and play for a team that would give him regular play time as he aimed to get a place in the Brazil squad for the World Cup in 2022.

Last week,

and

reached an agreement and the 29-year-old arrived in Birmingham on Tuesday, having undergone his medical and obtained a work permit. According to Villa the deal has now been finalized.

Based on reports from Villa, the deal includes a £33m option to buy Coutinho when the season ends.

“

It’s a pleasure to be here; it’s a great club,"

Coutinho said.

“I spoke a lot with the manager, with Stevie, and he told me about the club and his ambitions. I’m very happy to be here and I'm looking to enjoy my football.

"I’ve known Stevie for a long time. I played with him and I learned a lot from him. He’s someone who I have big admiration for. I hope to do my best here. For sure, I will work hard, and I hope together we can do good work.”

He continued:

“I’m looking forward to meeting the fans, to being on the pitch. I know and I feel that they’re happy that I’m here.

“I want to repay that on the pitch and enjoy my football. I’m looking forward to being on the pitch. I always want to be at my best, doing my work. That’s what I work hard for every day.

“I hope it will be a great rest of the season here.”

For Coutinho, it’s an opportunity to add to his 152 games in the

. He scored 41 goals in the competition for the Reds from 2013 to 2018, contributing 37 assists.

Follow

for the