Latest Aston Villa news from BirminghamLive as Philippe Coutinho’s future up in the air despite interest in the playmaker
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Philippe Coutinho of Vasco da Gama
Philippe Coutinho in action for boyhood club Vasco da Gama
(Image: Getty Images)
Philippe Coutinho’s Aston Villa limbo could be about to continue as the outcast playmaker nears the final year of his contract with the club.
The former Liverpool and Barcelona star has spent time on loan back home in Brazil with boyhood club Vasco de Gama after not playing for Villa since a 4-0 victory over Everton in August 2023.
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And it seems Vasco are keen to take the 32-year-old on loan again - despite not being overly impressed with him last term and Villa likely to want some sort of return on their £17m investment in the player.
According to O Globo (via Sport Witness), Vasco are keen to keep midfielder Coutinho, who cost Barca in excess of £100m when he signed from Liverpool in January 2018, over fellow signing Dimitri Payet.
Sport Witness reports: “There has been general disappointment at Vasco as they’ve struggled to get Payet and Coutinho into the same team and make it work.
“There had been plenty of excitement about pairing the duo, but they’ve not managed to make that happen enough.
“Despite that, Coutinho has shown ‘flashes of brilliance’, and Vasco are interested in extending his loan from Aston Villa.”
It is claimed that Vasco believe they can do a further loan deal with Villa, although Sport Witness adds: “Villa may at least try and work out a way to get something for Coutinho rather than him going on a free in 2026.”
Coutinho scored three goals in 18 appearances for Vasco last term, having joined them in the summer. Their season ended in December with Vasco’s 10th-placed finish good enough to qualify for the group stage of the Copa Sudamericana - South America's equivalent of the Europa League.
He is currently involved in their Copa do Brasil and Campeonato Carioca cup campaigns, scoring two goals in each competition so far this year.
And it seems the player is keen to stay with Vasco too if a deal can be concluded. He said at the end of the season: “I’m at the club I love, where I want to be. The club aims for great things, and so do we, the players. Vasco wants to fight for titles and important things and that is the mentality of the players. I have seen that.”
Coutinho bagged six goals and three assists in his 43 games for Villa.
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