Steven Gerrard backed Philippe Coutinho to regain top form at Aston Villa as the club consider whether to turn his loan from Barcelona into a permanent transfer.
The former Liverpool star, a team-mate of Gerrard at Anfield, has registered four goals and three assists in 13 games since arriving at Villa Park in January, but his form has dipped in recent weeks.
Coutinho would cost about £30million and would be comfortably Villa's top earner — a significant financial outlay for a player who turns 30 on June 12.
Gerrard will be supported again in the summer transfer market as he tries to realise the dream of billionaire owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens to turn Villa into one of the country's top clubs again.