Less than a decade ago, Philippe Coutinho was one of the most coveted players in world football. The Brazilian blossomed under Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool before Barcelona paid around £142million for him.
However, his career in Europe was disrupted by injuries and poor decisions, eventually leading to his departure from Aston Villa and a return to Brazil with Vasco da Gama, where he rediscovered his form and enjoyment of the game.
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Coutinho became a free agent at the end of last season, and according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, he is now set to join Santos until the end of the year. He will reunite with his friend Neymar Jr.
Fabrizio Romano posted on X: “Philippe Coutinho to Santos, here we go! Deal until the end of the year has been agreed. Coutinho joins as free agent and will play again with his friend Neymar Jr.”
Coutinho is set to undergo his medical before signing his deal. Neymar suffered another injury days ago, leaving the attacking midfield role vacant. Coutinho and Neymar were close friends in Brazil’s youth teams at just 15.
Coutinho developed into one of the Premier League’s most creative playmakers during his five-year spell with Liverpool after joining from Inter Milan in January 2013.
The Brazilian quickly established himself at Anfield, showcasing his vision and passing ability under Brendan Rodgers.
His influence grew further under Jurgen Klopp, with Coutinho scoring 12 goals in 2015-16 and 14 the following season as Liverpool secured Champions League qualification.
After a strong start to the 2017/18 campaign, including a Champions League hat-trick against Spartak Moscow, Coutinho joined Barcelona in January 2018 after making 201 appearances and scoring 54 goals for Liverpool.
At Barcelona, Coutinho won two La Liga titles and a Copa del Rey before falling out of favour and joining Bayern Munich on loan in 2019-20, where he won the treble.
He reunited with Steven Gerrard at Aston Villa in 2022 but struggled for consistency, later moving to Al-Duhail and Vasco da Gama.
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