Philippe Coutinho could be about to secure a permanent transfer move away from Aston Villa this week
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Sport
14:30, 15 Jun 2025
Philippe Coutinho of Vasco looks on during the warm up before a Brasileirao 2024 match between Vasco and Juventude at Sao Januario Stadium
Philippe Coutinho of Vasco looks on during the warm up before a Brasileirao 2024 match between Vasco and Juventude at Sao Januario Stadium
(Image: 2024 Getty Images)
Philippe Coutinho could soon call a permanent end to his Aston Villa career and secure a transfer back to his homeland of Brazil. The attacker, who made over 200 appearances for Liverpool in a five-year spell between 2013 and 2018, is currently on loan at boyhood club, Vasco da Gama.
That temporary spell represents the second loan move since he joined Villa on a permanent deal from Barcelona in 2022. He would make just 22 appearances for the Midlands club before joining Qatari side Al-Duhail in 2023.
A move back to Vasco de Gama followed, with Coutinho frozen out by Villa boss Unai Emery. The 33-year-old has enjoyed his time back at the club with whom he started his career back in 2009 and is keen to stay.
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But with transfer talks dragging on and the prospect of having to return to Villa, where he is surplus to requirements, looming, Coutinho says this week could be decisive.
He is quoted as saying: “People are talking, this week I think it’s positive to talk about and decide everything.”
Villa are keen to offload Coutinho in order to comply with PSR requirements and Vasco chief executive Carlos Amodeo, is now optimistic a deal can be done.
He said: “The goal is to keep the player.
“There is no problem between him and Vasco. The point is to resolve the situation with Aston Villa so we can move forward.
“Coutinho is a player we want to count on for the rest of the season. We’re in contact with his staff awaiting his release.”
Coutinho has struggled to find a permanent home since leaving Liverpool in a deal worth around £145m in January 2018. The Brazilian informed the Reds of his desire to move to Barcelona, who would secure his transfer six months after making their interest known.
But the attacker struggled for consistency with the Catalan giants and was sent on loan to Bayern Munich. Despite eight goals in 23 appearances in Germany, Bayern turned down the opportunity to sign him permanently before a move to Aston Villa followed.
Speaking to the ECHO in 2019, Liverpool chairman Tom Werner stated that Coutinho "probably regrets" choosing to leave Anfield for Barcelona.
"I would just point to the story of Philippe Coutinho," Werner told the ECHO.
"I have only good things to say about Philippe. But I think he left Liverpool because he wanted to play for one of the two big Spanish clubs.
"We tried to convince him that we had the club moving in the right direction and that he could experience big Champions League occasions by staying at Liverpool.
"I think he probably regrets his decision."