The end that many were expecting for Philippe Coutinho at Aston Villa has finally arrived. After a little bit of a delay, Friday saw the club formally announce that the Brazilian would be joining his childhood club, Vasco da Gama, moving forward on a long-term basis.
After spending his time with the Brasileirão Série A side last season on loan, Coutinho has been granted his wish and will be able to keep playing in his home country.
The move faced some difficulty due to the nature of there having been a year remaining on the midfielder's contract. While exact details were not provided, the direct aspect of the matter means that Villa will no longer have the Brazilian's wages on the books.
For all of the relief that came from the PSR unfolding, SCR is now the concern. Although, that too is manageable. The club has to make an effort to reduce the wage bill, and something like this helps to start to make a dent in that needed aspect.
Predictable outcome for Aston Villa
All in all, it is a development that all parties will ultimately be satisfied with the outcome. Coutinho had a promising early start in B6, but he found himself on the outside looking in on Unai Emery's plans for the upcoming campaign. From the perspective of Vasco da Gama and Coutinho, they are able to keep working together and continue to build on what has already been established through his time at the club.
This is one of the more predictable moves that could have happened so far this summer. Villa, however, may now be able to surprise and catch some people off guard following the latest PSR developments. At the moment, a largely uneventful summer to this point has now seen the departure of a midfielder in Coutinho, who has seen his ideal scenario unfold for his career.