Aston Villa have agreed a deal to bring in former Liverpool playmaker Philippe Coutinho on loan from Barcelona until the end of the season.
The deal, which is subject to a medical and a work permit being granted, includes an option to buy the 29-year-old Brazil international.
Coutinho will travel to Birmingham in the next 48 hours.
The development comes after Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard had recently dismissed the rumors.
Speaking ahead of Villa’s trip to Manchester United in the FA Cup, Gerrard was asked about the prospect of Coutinho coming in on loan.
He said: “I’m never going to mention players’ names or individuals that are signed and belong to other teams and other clubs because I wouldn’t like that disrespect coming this way in terms of Aston Villa.
“I appreciate and respect the speculation, we are at that time of the season where a lot of names get bandied around but, unfortunately, you won’t see me comment on any speculation.”
However, Arsenal, Everton, Newcastle and Tottenham were also linked with a move for Coutinho.
The playmaker, who has scored 26 goals in 106 appearances for the Catalans, has 18 months to run on his Nou Camp contract, which expires at the end of the 2022-23 season.
The Brazil midfielder knows manager Steven Gerrard well having spent two-and-a-half years with him at Liverpool, and is said to already know a lot about Villa and their squad.
Coutinho was signed by Barcelona from Liverpool for a club-record £146m in January 2018, but he has struggled to hold down a first-team place at the Nou Camp and spent the 2019/20 season on loan at Bayern Munich.