Former Liverpool and Barcelona player,Philippe Coutinho has denied reports of exiting Aston Villa claiming he’s happy staying there.
The Brazil international in an Instagram post on Thursday blasted the reports as “lies”.
The attacking midfielder initially arrived at Villa Park in January on a short-term loan deal under Steven Gerrard, whom he played alongside at Liverpool. 
The successful spell earned a permanent move from Barca during the off-season, but following Gerrard’s sacking in October, Unai Emery took charge at the Midlands club.Reports emerged earlier this month the 30-year-old was seeking a departure in the January transfer window, but Coutinho has taken to social media to take down those claims.
“In the last few days I’ve seen a lot of news with my name,” he said in an Instagram post. “The problem is now that some lies have started, and I’m here to clarify.“Never, and at any moment, [have I] had any kind of conversation asking to leave the club, because I’m happy here and my family [are] too,”he added.
“My only focus now that I’ve recovered from injury is to work at the maximum every day, to play [at] a high level, and help the club and my team-mates to achieve our goals.”
It has been a tough campaign for Coutinho so far, with form and injury struggles contributing to him losing his position in the Brazil squad ahead of the World Cup.
