Barcelona 'want 18-month loan deal for Philippe Coutinho'

Barcelona are hoping to agree an 18-month loan deal with another club to sign Philippe Coutinho in January, according to a report.

The 29-year-old is expected to leave Camp Nou imminently, with one report claiming that the playmaker will make a final decision on his next destination on Friday.

As many as six Premier League clubs are believed to have registered their interest in signing Coutinho, with Aston Villa one team who have already entered negotiations with the Brazilian's representatives.

According to the Daily Mirror, Barcelona are keen for any interested club to take Coutinho on loan until June 2023 when his contract expires.

The report adds that Villa would prefer to recruit Coutinho on an initial six-month loan deal until the end of the current campaign, though Barca are hoping to persuade Steven Gerrard's side to take him for an additional year.

Arsenal, Everton, Leicester City, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur are five other English top-flight clubs who have also been linked with Coutinho, who played for four years alongside Gerrard at Liverpool before his £142m move to Barcelona in January 2018.