Aston Villa have reportedly demanded Barcelona to lower their asking price for Philippe Coutinho by 50%.
The Brazil international has made an immediate impression back in the Premier League on loan at Villa Park with four goals and three assists from 12 top-flight outings so far.
Villa are understood to possess the option to trigger a permanent deal for Coutinho for a £33m fee, but Steven Gerrard's side could supposedly struggle to stump up the fee.
According to Sport - via the Daily Mail - Villa are only willing to pay half of the 29-year-old's option-to-buy clause if they are to fork out the entirety of his salary.
The report adds that Villa would also need Coutinho to sacrifice a large portion of his £480k-a-week wages to make the move permanent, but Gerrard is still hopeful of a deal being agreed.
Coutinho has registered 25 goals and 14 assists in 106 games for La Blaugrana since his arrival in 2018, and his agents are reportedly putting out feelers for other clubs amid uncertainty surrounding his Aston Villa future.
Ben Knapton
