Aston Villa continue to work on terminating the contract of unwanted star Philippe Coutinho as the player seeks a move back to Brazil during the summer transfer window.
The midfielder’s career has been all downhill since leaving Liverpool in 2018 and many thought his move to Villa in January 2022 would help revive it after some tough years with Barcelona.
However, it proved to be another transfer that did not work out as the Brazilian now looks set to leave Villa Park to return to his home country ahead of the 2024/ 2025 campaign. The 32-year-old is not part of Unai Emery’s plans at the Premier League club and spent last season on loan with Qatari side Al-Duhail.
Coutinho produced seven goals and three assists in 22 games in Qatar but that was not enough to convince the Villa coach to retain him for the upcoming season.
According to Football Insider, talks are currently ongoing over ending his contract this summer despite his deal running until 2026. This would be a big help to the Birmingham club’s profit and sustainability situation as Coutinho earns £135k-a-week at the English club and that will free up space for new signings as well.
Philippe Coutinho is set to return to Brazil this summer
Once Aston Villa and Coutinho come to an agreement over his contract, the midfielder is expected to return to his native Brazil with Vasco da Gama interested in their former player. However, nothing is close as the 32-year-old works out his next move.
After several tough years in his career, Coutinho deserves to play at a club that makes him happy and many would like to see him secure a move home during the current transfer window.
Other clubs may become interested once his deal at Villa is cancelled as the coming weeks are set to be busy for the former Liverpool star.