Philippe Coutinho is about to make a big return to his hometown. According to reports, the Brazilian midfielder might use the summer transfer window to rejoin Vasco de Gama his old team. Following his January 2018 departure from Liverpool to join Barcelona for an incredible £142 million transfer fee—the highest transfer fee Liverpool had ever received—Coutinho’s career has seen a turbulent period.
Fabinho, Alisson Becker and Virgil van Dijk were among the important players Liverpool acquired with the money from Coutinho’s transfer and these additions helped the team win the Premier League and the Champions League later on. Coutinho’s career did not however take the same course.
Despite his best efforts Coutinho was unable to regain his prior level of play and ended up spending the 2023–24 season on loan at Al-Duhail. Coutinho is currently regarded as surplus to requirements at Villa Park where he has two years left on his contract.
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According to reports, Aston Villa may end his contract which would allow him to return to Vasco de Gama where he began his career and played in 31 games as a young player.
After reaching a deal, Coutinho arrived in Rio de Janeiro last Friday according to the Brazilian publication Trivela. Villa reportedly has reservations about letting him go despite spending £17 million on his transfer. An intriguing development is that Liverpool’s owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) may buy Vasco de Gama.
Seventy percent of Vasco is currently owned by 777 Partners but they have encountered many difficulties such as the administration of their Australian airline Bonza and a $600 million fraud case in New York. As a result, a judge has taken control away from board members Josh Wanders, his sister Mollie and Steven Pasko.
It is said that FSG is eager to diversify their sports offerings. They recently convinced Michael Edwards, the former sporting director of Liverpool, to take a leadership role in football for their Boston-based company. Further tying Coutinho’s potential comeback with FSG’s strategic goals is “O Globos”, a Brazilian newspaper, identification of FSG as a possible suitor for Vasco de Gama.
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In a nutshell, Philippe Coutinho is on the verge of returning to Vasco de Gama, the team that launched his professional career on an emotional level.
The owners of Liverpool FSG are also considering the possibility of acquiring Vasco which might completely change the course of the team’s future. Both Coutinho and Vasco de Gama are experiencing a momentous occasion which could usher in a new era for them.
