Matt Maher: Philippe Coutinho had some value off the pitch at Aston Villa

Much of it remained five months later when Villa converted the Brazilian’s initial loan from Barcelona into a permanent move for £17million.

Since then, things haven’t exactly gone to plan. Coutinho has started only seven Premier League matches, scored just one goal and reached near Lovre Kalinic levels on the “forgot he was still on the books” scale.

His return to Brazil and Vasco da Gama was announced with just a handful of paragraphs on the official Villa website. A season-long loan move does not quite represent the final goodbye but now aged 32 and with injuries continuing to ravage his progress, it feels safe to declare Coutinho’s Villa career a rather expensive mis-step on the club’s part.

But a complete failure? As with most things, it is not quite so clear cut. Granted, Coutinho never came close to personally delivering what Villa had hoped, yet his signing had benefits in other ways.

Back in January 2022, it seemed confirmation the club meant business under Steven Gerrard. Just a week later, goalkeeper Emi Martinez, still 11 months from becoming a World Cup winner, signed a five-and-a-half-year contract having been convinced by Gerrard of his ambition. It remains the biggest achievement of the former Liverpool captain’s tenure.

In second place is the signing of Boubacar Kamara, which came days after Coutinho’s permanent deal was struck, with Gerrard’s words essential in convincing the French midfielder to choose Villa over several other clubs. Diego Carlos would arrive just a week later. Both played important roles for Unai Emery last season.

There, perhaps, is the value for Villa in Coutinho. A huge disappointment on the pitch, his poor form was a major factor in Gerrard losing his job. Off the field, he undoubtedly helped boost Villa’s profile and for that the club can at least point to some positives, no matter how indirect or unintended they might have been.