The Brazilian has struggled to reach the same heights he achieved at Liverpool since leaving Anfield back in 2018. Coutinho became one of the most expensive transfers of all time when he joined Barcelona for $180m (£142m/€168m) back in January 2018.
But while the deal would represent great business for the Reds, with Jurgen Klopp going on to sign Alisson and Fabinho a few months later after securing Virgil van Dijk , it would prove to be a misstep for Coutinho that he has never truly recovered from.
He failed to endear himself to the Catalan club’s supporters, and suffered the ignominy of THAT crushing 4-0 defeat at Anfield just over 12 months after leaving Liverpool. Not long after that, he was sent out on loan to Bayern Munich.
He would go on to win the Champions League with the German giant, and even scored in an 8-2 win over Barcelona in the quarter-finals along the way. Once again though, he couldn’t find the same form he had shown on Merseyside before returning to Spain.
A loan to Aston Villa under Steven Gerrard offered some hope, and he began to find his feet again in the Premier League . The move was made permanent, but when Gerrard was sacked at the start of the 2022/23 season, Coutinho once again found himself out of favor.
Another loan to Qatari side Al-Duhail signalled a new low for the 32-year-old, but he now looks set for an emotional return to his boyhood club.
According to Brazilian outlet Globo , Coutinho has reached an agreement with Vasco da Gama, which will see him make his way back to his hometown of Rio de Janeiro. The forward came through the ranks at Vasco before signing for Inter Milan in 2008, although he would spend two years back on loan with the Brazilian side.
It’s claimed that Gremeio, Botafogo and Fluminense had also been targeting Coutinho. Vasco is now waiting for his contract at Villa to be terminated, with Coutinho’s contract there still valid for another two years.
Liverpool.com says: Hopefully this move can breathe a bit of life back into Coutinho’s career. Things just haven’t gone right for him since he left Liverpool, and now 32, hopefully he can enjoy the final years of his career back at his hometown club.
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