Philippe Coutinho hints at permanent Barcelona exit

Philippe Coutinho has seemingly put an end to his career at Barcelona, one year before the end of his contract with the Catalan giants.

The 29-year-old joined Aston Villa on loan in January and has been in impressive form for Steven Gerrard's side, scoring four times and registering three assists in 10 appearances.

Villa have the option of signing Coutinho on a permanent deal this summer, but the club are yet to make a final decision on the Brazilian.

The playmaker has a contract at Camp Nou until next June but has suggested that he has already played his last game for the Catalan giants.

"I have a beautiful story at Liverpool, I was happy there, now I'm starting to write a story at Aston Villa," he told Globo Esporte. "I'm happy that once again I'm able to play well in England, as I've played in Italy, Spain and Germany.

"It's hard to say what didn't work at Barca. I had good times there, but the sequence and the way of acting were factors that could have been different. It was time to move forward, always with great respect and professionalism.

"I am grateful to Barcelona for believing in my work and I am grateful for having defended a club with a lot of history."

Coutinho - also recently linked with a switch to Arsenal - has scored 25 times and registered 14 assists in 106 appearances for Barcelona.