Aston Villa have reportedly made an initial £12m bid for Barcelona's Philippe Coutinho, who has been on loan at Villa Park since January.
The Brazilian international has made a positive impact on Steven Gerrard's side, having netted four goals and registered three assists in 15 Premier League appearances since his return to England.
Gerrard, who played alongside Coutinho for Liverpool, has made it clear that he wishes to sign his former teammate on a permanent deal, with his loan contract including an option to buy at the end of the season.
According to the Daily Mail, despite the initial agreement between Villa and Barcelona stating a £33m option to buy, the Catalan giants may be willing to cut that price tag by more than half.
Xavi's side are keen to offload some of their high-earning players this summer to raise funds for a squad overhaul, therefore Villa are likely to negotiate a cut-price deal for Coutinho.
The 29-year-old has scored 25 goals and provided 14 assists in 106 appearances for Barcelona, since arriving at Camp Nou in 2018.
Sammy Wynne
