Ex-Villa playmaker Coutinho completes move to Brazil's Vasco da Gama

BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) — Former Brazil international Philippe Coutinho has completed a permanent move to Vasco da Gama from Aston Villa.

The clubs reached a deal for the playmaker to return to his boyhood club on a permanent basis after Coutinho was on loan with the Rio de Janeiro-based side last season, Aston Villa said on Friday.

Coutinho joined Villa in 2022 and made 43 appearances with the team, scoring six goals.

Coutinho started his professional career at Vasco in 2009.

Coutinho’s former clubs include Inter Milan, Liverpool, Barcelona and Bayern Munch. He joined Barcelona in 2018 from Liverpool for a fee of up to 160 million euros (then $192 million).

He won two Spanish league titles with Barcelona, and the Champions League with Bayern Munich in 2020. Coutinho won the Copa America with Brazil in 2019 and played in the 2018 World Cup.

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