Philippe Coutinho set for emotional return as Liverpool owners FSG 'plot' deal

Philippe Coutinho could make a return to his former club in the summer transfer window.

The attacking-midfielder has endured a difficult period since leaving Liverpool in January 2018. Coutinho joined Barcelona for a fee of £142 million - the biggest transfer fee the Reds have ever received for a player.

And while the Reds went on to achieve Champions League and Premier League glory, using the funds to purchase Virgil van Dijk, Alisson Becker and Fabinho, the career of Coutinho has foundered. The Brazilian struggled at Barca and had a loan spell at Bayern Munich.

He then moved to Aston Villa to reunite with former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, who was in the hot seat of the Premier League club. Yet Coutinho failed to return to the levels that he displayed at the Reds and spent the 2023-24 campaign on loan at Al-Duhail.

Coutinho is now seemingly surplus to requirements at Villa Park despite having two years remaining on his contract. It has been suggested his deal with Unai Emery’s side could be terminated. And it is reported that the 31-year-old may make a return to Brazil and rejoin Vasco de Gama - the club where he broke through the ranks as a youth player, making 31 appearances.

Brazilian outlet Trivela reports that an agreement with Coutinho has been reached and they await the termination of his Villa contract. It is suggested that the playmaker has been in Rio de Janeiro since last Friday, although Villa are somewhat resistant after paying £17 million for his services.

Interestingly, Fenway Sports Group have been linked with purchasing Vasco, who are 13th in the Brazilian top flight. 777 Partners, who have yet to seal a takeover of Everton, own 70% yet board members Josh Wanders, his sister Mollie and Steven Pasko have had control taken off them by a judge. 777 have had a $600 million fraud case filed against them in New York while their Australian airline Bonza entered administration earlier this month.

FSG are keen to expand their portfolio after persuading former Liverpool sporting director back to become the Boston-based company’s CEO of football. O Globo has claimed that FSG are a potential suitor.