Things have not exactly gone to plan for Philippe Coutinho since his decision to leave Liverpool in January 2018.
The Brazilian became one of the most expensive footballers in history after joining Barcelona from the Reds, but he never really got going at the Camp Nou.
From there, a loan to Bayern Munich brought Champions League success, but Coutinho‘s status as a transfer flop was underlined when he left Barca for Aston Villa in 2022.
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The 33-year-old also failed to settle at Villa Park, eventually returning to boyhood club Vasco da Gama in July 2024, initially on loan. Having made the deal permanent last summer, things had appeared to be going well for Coutinho, but in a surprise move, the former Liverpool man ripped up his contract on Wednesday.
Having been booed by his own supporters last week, the attacking midfielder made the decision to cancel his agreement with the Rio de Janeiro side, and now looks poised for an MLS adventure.
LA Galaxy make official approach to sign Philippe Coutinho
In an emotional statement made on Instagram, Coutinho admitted that while it ‘hurts a lot’ he realised that it was time to leave Vasco after hearing the boos from the club’s fans.
“At that moment, on the way to the locker room, I felt and realised that my cycle at the club had ended, and I didn’t come back to prioritise my mental health,” he said, having made the decision not to return to the pitch for the second-half of the match.
Philippe Coutinho of Vasco da Gama runs with the ball during the Brasilerao match against Santos
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Deemed good enough to be a £125m player only eight years ago, Coutinho is now available as a free agent.
And according to Brazilian journalist Jorge Nicola, LA Galaxy have already made their move to try and snap him up.
Still able to register the former Liverpool No. 10, the Galaxy have reportedly made an ‘official offer’ to bring Coutinho to LA.
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Rumours of the Brazil international joining Gremio have also been dismissed, with ‘no chance’ of an agreement being reached.
Where else could Coutinho end up?
Clearly, Coutinho had not been planning to end his time at Vasco so suddenly, and it is a shame to see things turn sour for him at his boyhood club.
There could yet be a surprise return to Europe, with Italy or maybe Portugal the most likely destination.
Nevertheless, turning 34 this month, Coutinho is finished at the top level of the game, and a move would most probably be with a team in the middle or lower reaches of those respective leagues.
Coutinho has previously played in the Middle East – in Qatar – and maybe that would appeal to him once again, but at this stage of his career, playing in the MLS alongside some of his former Barca teammates, including Lionel Messi, may be the best option.
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