Philippe Coutinho ends Aston Villa nightmare as ex-Liverpool star completes fairytale loan return to Brazil

The ex-Brazil international has finally completed his move back to his homeland as he leaves the Villans on loan to join boyhood club Vasco da Gama. As per earlier reports, the 32-year-old initially tried to terminate his contract to join Vasco on a permanent transfer as a free agent, however, his parent club did not agree and instead released him on a temporary deal.

Coutinho joined Aston Villa on loan from Barcelona in January 2022 before making his transfer permanent six months later. However, he failed to make an impact under Unai Emery and was sent out on loan to Qatari side Al-Duhail ahead of the 2023-24 season. The player still has two years left in his contract with the Premier League club.

The official statement on the midfielder's transfer from the club read: "Aston Villa can confirm that Philippe Coutinho has joined Vasco da Gama on a season-long loan. The Brazilian returns to his homeland having spent last term with Al Duhail. After signing for Villa initially on loan in January 2022, he went on to pen a permanent deal at Villa Park and has made 43 appearances for the club, scoring six goals."

Emery's men will regroup on Wednesday for pre-season. They are scheduled to visit Slovakia briefly before heading to the US on tour.