Philippe Coutinho spent five years at Anfield turning himself from a promising Inter Milan arrival into one of the Premier League’s most feared attacking midfielders.
He joined in January 2013 for £8.5 million and quickly earned the nickname “the little magician” from teammates and supporters alike.
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His long-range strikes became a trademark.
Coutinho scored more Premier League goals from outside the box than any other player during his time at Liverpool, a run that began almost as soon as he settled into Brendan Rodgers’ side.
Some moments stand out more than others.
Against Spartak Moscow in the Champions League, Coutinho scored his first Liverpool hat-trick in a 7-0 win, opening the scoring with the fastest goal ever recorded at Anfield in a Champions League match.
He had also announced himself in the Merseyside derby back in November 2013, controlling a flick-on from a Steven Gerrard corner and poking home the opener inside five minutes.
By the time he left for Barcelona in January 2018, Coutinho had made himself indispensable at Anfield.
He never won a major trophy in a Liverpool shirt, but few players of that era generated the same anticipation whenever the ball reached his feet.
Now, eight years after leaving Merseyside, Philippe Coutinho is back in the headlines, this time over a possible return to Brazilian football, driven by an old international teammate.
According to Diario Do Peixe, Santos are in talks to sign Coutinho as a free agent, with Neymar among those pushing hardest for the move.
Discussions reportedly began around three days before becoming public on Tuesday, and Coutinho has been without a club since terminating his contract with Vasco da Gama in February, when he cited mental health reasons for leaving, per Placar.
It was his second spell at the club that first developed him as a player.
Neymar’s backing has been public and enthusiastic.
Responding to a journalist on social media, the Santos captain called a possible Coutinho signing “my dream,” name-checking recent arrivals Gabigol and Arthur as evidence of his influence on the club’s recruitment.
The two forged their partnership with Brazil’s national team over the past decade, though they have faced each other more often than played together at club level, notably when Coutinho’s Bayern Munich beat Neymar’s Paris Saint-Germain in the 2020 Champions League final.
Despite Neymar’s enthusiasm, Santos’ board is proceeding cautiously.
Talks have stalled over the structure of the deal: Santos have proposed a performance-related contract, with pay tied to appearances, but Coutinho’s camp is understood to be unhappy with that model.
Reports suggest Santos have offered a six-month deal with a base salary of between R$600,000 and R$700,000, plus bonuses.
The club has also been factoring in Coutinho’s lack of match fitness, he has not played competitively since 14 February, when he featured for Vasco against Volta Redonda.
As a free agent, Coutinho is not bound by Brazil’s transfer window, which closes on Friday, 11 September.
Santos would need to register him for the Brasileirao by October 7, and he would be ineligible for this week’s Copa Sudamericana quarter-final against Atletico Mineiro, though he could still be added to the squad for the semi-finals if Santos advance.
The approach mirrors how the club recently brought in Arthur, Rodinei and Lima without paying transfer fees.
Philippe Coutinho has drawn interest from elsewhere, including MLS clubs, but has yet to commit to a new team since leaving Vasco. Talks between his representatives and Santos are ongoing, with no agreement yet reached.
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