Image Credits: Imago Images
Philippe Coutinho is now a free agent after leaving his boyhood club, Vasco da Gama, just six months after making his permanent return following an initial loan spell.
The former Liverpool star returned home after departing Aston Villa but decided to terminate his contract with Vasco after reportedly being booed by fans during a match against Volta Redonda.
Coutinho confirmed his departure in an emotional Instagram statement, saying the club will “always be in his heart” but that it was the right time to leave.
The Brazilian began his career in Vasco’s youth ranks before moving to Inter Milan in 2010 at the age of 18, having initially signed for £3.5million two years earlier.
Over the course of a successful career – including stints at Inter, Liverpool, Barcelona, and Bayern Munich – Coutinho made headlines with a £145million move to Barcelona.
His return to Vasco was short-lived. Since rejoining the club on loan in 2024 and making the move permanent last summer, Coutinho scored 17 goals and provided seven assists in 81 appearances. With his contract now terminated, he is once again on the hunt for a new club.
The 33-year-old drew interest from several clubs, including MLS side Los Angeles Galaxy, but no deal was reached, according to AS USA Latino. The Galaxy instead signed midfielder Erik Thommy, who spent four seasons with Sporting Kansas City.
LA Galaxy General Manager Will Kuntz hinted at this on the Cobi Club podcast when asked by former US international Cobi Jones about the Coutinho rumours. “I can say that where there’s smoke, there’s fire,” Kuntz began, speaking about their contact with the Brazil midfielder.
“However, that doesn’t change what I said earlier about the group we have right now. We analyzed many players during this offseason.
“There were several very interesting and high-level profiles. But the reality is that we wanted to prioritize bringing the group together as soon as possible and having the full squad as soon as possible. That’s why we couldn’t wait for players who weren’t aligned with that objective.”
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