Aston Villa attacking midfielder Philippe Coutinho is ‘unlikely’ to depart the club this winter despite continued speculation, journalist Dean Jones has told GiveMeSport.

The 30-year-old has struggled to make an impact at Villa Park since signing on a permanent deal from Barcelona in the summer and has been linked with a surprise move away.

Aston Villa news – Philippe Coutinho

According to The Sun, Turkish giants Galatasaray are eager to secure Coutinho’s services before their respective transfer window closes on February 8.

It’s claimed the Istanbul outfit want Villa to agree to an initial loan deal for the Brazil international, although that may prove to be a stumbling block in negotiations.

And that’s because Unai Emery’s charges are said to want to recoup as much of the £17 million they paid for Coutinho as possible straight away.

The South American star is also one of Villa’s highest earners, taking away £125,000-per-week, and his contract is not due to expire until the summer of 2026.

Galatasaray are currently sitting pretty at the top of the Süper Lig standings having attracted big names such as Mauro Icardi, Juan Mata and Dries Mertens to the club.

What has Jones said about Coutinho?

When asked about the prospect of Coutinho departing Villa, Jones told GMS that he doesn’t think an imminent exit is on the cards despite what some supporters may want.

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He said: “There’s probably some Villa fans who would like to see him go at this point, but I still think it's a bit unlikely.

“They can't sign anyone now, so they're going to be left with one less player in their squad, someone that could potentially unlock a defence. I'd be trying to get the best out of Coutinho now rather than sell him, especially for the rest of this season.”

How well has Coutinho been playing?

Coutinho first arrived at Villa on a short-term loan deal back in January 2022 and made an instant impact, registering four goals and three assists in his first eight Premier League games for the club.

However, his form has dropped off a cliff since then. He only bagged one strike in his subsequent 11 games in 2021/22, failing to provide another assist.

And it has been much of the same for Coutinho so far in the current campaign as he has been unable to rack up a single goal contribution for Emery’s charges in his 20 outings.

It’s little surprise, therefore, that Coutinho has been linked with a possible switch away from Villa, but a summer move appears to be the more likely outcome.