Philippe Coutinho may be headed back to Aston Villa after his manager's comments while on loan in Brazil
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Aston Villa's Philippe Coutinho celebrates
Philippe Coutinho(Image: PA)
Philippe Coutinho's future is in doubt after a loaned return to his Brazilian boyhood club may soon be coming to an end with no plans lined up.
Understood not to be a part of Unai Emery's plans, the midfielder who was once valued at £150 million has seen a sharp decline since his Liverpool and Barcelona days.
Despite being under contract at Aston Villa until 2026, Coutinho has spent the past two seasons out on loan, first at Al-Duhail in Qatar before returning and being shipped off to Vasco da Gama.
After joining the club to a large fanfare, the midfielder has failed to fully reignite his form posing questions about what could be next.
His deal at Villa came under Steven Gerrard who handed him a four-year contact after a successful initial six-month loan spell. Although after the former Liverpool captain left the club the transfer failed to live up to expectations.
Steven Gerrard has left Aston Villa with immediate effect
Steven Gerrard sign the former Liverpool ace in 2022
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The spell has been a mixture of exciting moments and being sat out of the squad with injuries that has led to the uncertainty. Vasco da Gama manager Fábio Carille previously seemed keen to sign the 32-year-old but according to Globo Esporte via Sports Witness he is now more on the fence.
Asked if the manager will look to keep both Coutinho and teammate Dimitri Payet, Carille said: "We’ll wait. On the technical side, yes, but we have to look at the financial side, and other things about the club.
"We still have a few months, this hasn’t been discussed, but it’s better to wait and understand everything to do what’s best for everyone."