Sick of sitting on the bench, sick of sunshine and the sea - Neto wants to join Coutinho at Villa Park

Barca's goalkeeper Norberto Murara Neto has got an impressive resume, even though he's been largely under the radar for over a decade now. He's been at Fiorentina, Juventus, Valencia and Barcelona - and has only been the first-choice goalkeeper in four of the last 12 seasons. Now Aston Villa are offering him a way out.

Saturday, 15.30: (3.05) Aston Villa (3.40) Arsenal (2.45)

Just like Steven Gerrard transformed Philippe Coutinho back into a delightful midfielder by signing him from Barcelona, the former Liverpool captain will try to revive another Barca's underused Brazilian.

Neto has been signed from Valencia in 2019 as a replacement for the departed back-up goalie Jesper Cillessen - and he knew that he wasn't going to get much playing time with Marc-Andre Ter Stegen all but guaranteed a place in Barca's starting eleven. However, after a couple of years of warming the substitutes bench, not even the Catalan sunshine and life in one of the world's nicest cities is enough. Footballers want to play football, after all.

Neto has already informed Barca's directors that he would like to leave. There has been some interest from Everton, as well as from Valencia, who tried to loan him back, but he remained on the Blaugrana sidelines because the Catalans wouldn't let him leave on a cheap. With their well-documented financial problems, Barcelona are desperate to recoup at least a majority of the $28.6 million fee they paid to sign him.

It seems that Stevie G will over a new lease of life to another neglected Brazilian.