Philippe Coutinho is ‘very close’ to a transfer, following the verdict at the Liverpool meeting

Aston Villa international and former Liverpool star Philippe Coutinho is very close to completing a move to boyhood club Vasco da Gama.

According to The Telegraph’s John Percy, the 32-year-old will be sent out on loan to the club that developed him ahead of his first big move to Inter. The move is understood to be welcomed by all parties, as Unai Emery does not see him in his plans at Villa Park.

Coutinho was a fan favorite at Anfield when he signed from the Serie A giants in 2013. The Brazilian would go on to make 201 appearances for the Reds, scoring 54 goals and 43 assists in the process.

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However, the midfielder’s outlook took a slight turn for the worse in 2018 when he claimed a January move to Barcelona. Things didn’t work out for Coutinho in Catalonia, but earlier this year the midfielder insisted he has no regrets about leaving Merseyside in the way he did.

“Not. At no time (I have any regrets),” he said. “Things didn’t turn out the way I imagined, the way people expected, the way I expected because I’m the first one who asked me on the field, I tell myself that I have to give more on the field.

“I tried everything, I was always very professional and I don’t regret anything. It was always my dream to play at Barca and I went there, I liked it, I was able to meet a lot of people, win titles and it will always be in the story of my life.”

After a terrible spell at Camp Nou, which included a more successful loan spell at Bayern Munich, Coutinho returned to the Premier League with Villa in 2022, initially on loan before the deal was made permanent.

After falling out of favor in the West Midlands, Coutinho spent last season on loan in Qatar with Al Duhail. He has since returned to the UK but is understood to be flying back to South America soon, ending any chance of a reunion with Liverpool next season.