Huge boost: Ashley Preece drops exciting AVFC transfer claim, supporters will love it - opinion

Aston Villa have been particularly busy over the past few years when it comes to being active in the transfer market.

The previous summer and winter windows saw the Midlands club bring in numerous new faces to Villa Park, with some arriving on permanent deals and others joining on temporary loan deals.

Looking ahead to the upcoming summer window, it seems as though some behind the scenes details have emerged regarding one potential deal that could take place which would really excite a lot of Villans.

During a recent online Q&A on the Birmingham Live website, Villa journalist Ashley Preece was asked if he thinks the Midlands club will be able to secure Philippe Coutinho on a permanent deal when his current loan spell from Barcelona comes to an end.

He said: “Coutinho and his family have settled in really well. It’s certainly pointing towards a permanent deal. Coutinho really happy here. A lot depends on the salary now. Villa will crunch the numbers over the next few weeks. Transfer window opens on June 10 and Gerrard wants all of his business done prior to the last week of pre-season in late July/early August.”

Since arriving at Villa Park back in January, the Brazilian has scored four goals and provided three assists in 11 league appearances. As a result, the news that a permanent deal could now be on the cards is likely to be music to the ears of the club’s fanbase.

To highlight how much of an attacking impact the former Liverpool star has had since joining Steven Gerrard’s side, he has racked up an average of 2.5 shots per game, higher than any other Villa player, while further stats make for impressive reading too.

Only John McGinn (1.5) has a higher average of key passes per game than Coutinho (1.4), who has also