Ashley Preece: Villa could do another 'phenomenal' Coutinho-type deal this summer

Reliable journalist Ashley Preece claims there is still a chance that Aston Villa could complete an audacious move for legendary striker Luis Suarez this summer.

Steven Gerrard will be on the lookout for new signings at the end of the season, in order for his side Villa side to go up another gear in the Premier League in 2022/23.

One player they have been linked with a move for is Suarez, who Gerrard knows inside out after their time together at Liverpool, with the pair so nearly winning the Premier League title together and the Villa boss calling him a ‘phenomenal’ player.

The 35-year-old is likely to leave Atletico Madrid this summer when his current deal expires, meaning he would be a free agent.

Speaking in a Q&A for The Birmingham Mail, Preece provided an update on the Suarez situation, saying he could arrive as a big shock in the same way Philippe Coutinho did:

“Suarez remains an option. Can I see him at Villa? Not so sure but we all said that about Coutinho.”

While there is no doubt that Suarez’s best days are behind him, he could be a luxury signing who comes in at Villa this season, with the veteran still possessing plenty of quality after scoring 11 goals in 18 La Liga starts in 2021/22.

Aside from Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, the Uruguayan is arguably the best player of the last decade, racking up a ridiculous 308 goal involvements in 283 Barcelona games, and he could come in and raise the level of those around him, as the great players often do.

The fact that Gerrard knows him well makes it less of a gamble, as does the fact that he could come in for free, so signing him on a short-term deal could be a potential masterstroke, with Suarez scoring 69 Premier League goals in just 110 appearances for