Philippe Coutinho looks set to return to Brazil this summer as the midfielder has no future at Aston Villa under Unai Emery.
The Birmingham club brought the former Liverpool star to Villa Park in 2022 as part of a €20m deal with Barcelona but following the arrival of Emery, the 31-year-old has not been a key figure at the Premier League club.
Coutinho spent the 2024/25 campaign on loan with Qatari outfit Al Duhail, where he played 21 games, scoring six goals alongside three assists. That deal is unlikely to be turned into a permanent move as clubs in Brazil seek to bring the Villa star back to his home country.
Vasco da Gama’s president, Pedrinho, admitted that talks were underway last week to try and sign Coutinho. While the Brazilian club’s new head coach Alvaro Pacheco could not hide his excitement when talking about the arrival of the former Liverpool man.
“We’ve been talking about a lot of things, but all of this is changing quickly. Philippe Coutinho’s trajectory and CV speak for themselves,” Pacheco told O Dia.
“He’s a super experienced player, with a fantastic career. If he comes, he’ll be very welcome by everyone.”
Vasco da Gama will not have a free run at Coutinho as Cruzeiro owner Pedro Lourenco has also confirmed his interest in the Aston Villa star.
“A big dream is Coutinho, for example,” Lourenco has told Globo Esporte. “We have a big dream to bring that kind of player.
“Coutinho is truly a dream. And, if we have to bring him, we will spare no effort.”
Villa would have been worried about trying to move Coutinho on but it seems that his name still holds some weight in his home country. This would be a good move for the 31-year-old having not played in Brazil since leaving Vasco in 2010.
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