ASTON Villa have confirmed that Philippe Coutinho has completed a move to Brazilian side Vasco da Gama – three and a half years after arriving at Villa Park.
Coutinho, 33, arrived in a blaze of glory when he was signed from Barcelona by his former Liverpool team-mate Steven Gerrard.
But the move was not a success and he was loaned out to Qatari team Al-Duhail.
That was followed by the Brazil international moving to boyhood club Vasco da Gama – where he will now stay.
Villa issued a short statement on Friday which reads: “Aston Villa can confirm that Philippe Coutinho has completed a permanent move to Vasco da Gama.
“Everyone at Aston Villa would like to thank Philippe for his service to the club and wish him all the best in his future career.'”
Coutinho started 22 games for Villa, scoring six times. He signed on the back of impressive displays for both Liverpool and Barcelona – but he could not repeat that at Villa.
He initially signed on loan at Villa for the remainder of the 2021-22 season – before agreeing a £17million move that summer on a four-year contract.
But now he is off the wage bill, which should open up new opportunities for Villa.
When he signed, Gerrard told Villa’s official website: “Sixty three caps for Brazil, a serial winner, played for Barcelona, was incredible at Liverpool.
“I can understand why a lot of supporters up and down the country are speaking about him. I don’t think you get a nickname as a Magician if you’re not a special footballer.
“He’s someone I’ve got an incredible amount of respect for.”
