Phillipe Coutinho is on the radar of Vasco da Gama with advanced talks to bring the Brazilian home, it has been claimed.
Coutinho, who became one of the world's most expensive players ever when he joined Barcelona for £142million from Liverpool in 2018, has had a tough time of things lately. The playmaker left Camp Nou for Villa Park in 2022, but Aston Villa's current boss Unai Emery deemed him surplus to requirements after taking over from Steven Gerrard.
Coutinho, who turns 32 in June, has spent the current campaign on loan at Emirati club Al-Duhail. However, a permanent move to the UAE has not been agreed.
While his Villa contract runs until 2026, there have also been no indications he has anything resembling a future at his parent club. This has prompted Vaxco to explore a move which would bring him back to the club for the first time in more than a decade.
Coutinho was on Vasco da Gama's books as a youngster, but Inter Milan brought him to Europe when he was just 16. He remained at the Rio de Janeiro club on loan, eventually making his Inter debut under Rafa Benitez in 2010, before Brendan Rodgers brought him to Benitez's old club Liverpool.
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Despite bringing in stars from European leagues, with ex-Southampton midfielder Ibrahima Diallo also making the switch, Al-Duhail finished the season in mid-table. Coutinho scored three times in 16 league outings, and also scored twice in an AFC Champions League defeat against Cristiano Ronaldo-led Al-Nassr,
According to The Sun, Coutinho has returned to his home country and indicated "everyone already knows" where he will move next. It cites reports from Europe indicating "advanced talks" between the player and Vasco, who have lost four of their first six games in Brazil's Serie A this term.
Would a return to Brazil suit Coutinho? Have your say in the comments section
Coutinho last played for Vasco when he was a teenager (LatinContent/Getty Images)Coutinho's mega-money move to Barcelona didn't go to plan, and he was loaned out to Bayern Munich before eventually completing a permanent move to Villa Park. He won the Champions League with Bayern in 2020, eliminating Barca along the way, but said in March he had no regrets about his Camp Nou move.
"Things did not turn out as I imagined, as people expected, as I expected because I am the first to demand of myself on the field, I tell myself that I have to give more on the field," he said. "I tried everything, I have always been very professional and I don’t regret anything.
"It was always my dream to play for Barca and I went there, I enjoyed it, I was able to meet many people, win titles and it will always be in the story of my life."
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