The Brazil international has been injured and his tactics don’t suit his style. When he finally joined Villa on a permanent deal in 2022, he failed to make an impact, scoring just once in 20 appearances.
Philippe Coutinho has now agreed personal terms with Qatari club Al Duhail; but Aston Villa has not yet given the green light
Negotiations continue but Qatar is determined to move forward and make it happen.
However, he is the third most expensive player in history, with his previous move to Barcelona costing £142 million. Coutinho has scored 21 goals in 68 international appearances, but has not played for Brazil since the 5-1 win over South Korea last June.
He is considering joining legendary Argentine player and coach Hernan Crespo, whose Al Duhail side are third in the Qatar Stars League, two points behind leaders Al Rayyan.
Who is Coutinho?
Belonging to the golden generation of talent like Neymar and Oscar, Coutinho played excellently in Vasco da Gama’s youth system.
He was signed by Serie A club Inter Milan in 2008 for 4 million euros, then loaned to Vasco, where he became a key player. He made his debut for Inter Milan in 2010 and was then loaned to La Liga club Espanyol in 2012, where he continued to have successful seasons.
In January 2013, Coutinho joined Premier League club Liverpool. He flourished at Liverpool, being named in the 2015 PFA Team of the Year. He continued to form a formidable attacking quartet with Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mané.
In January 2018, Coutinho signed for Barcelona and won two La Liga titles with the club, but his individual performances were disappointing. He was loaned to German club Bayern Munich for the 2019-20 season, being part of the team that won the treble, including the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and UEFA Champions League.
Thanks to his dribbling ability, speed and agility, he has been compared to Lionel Messi and Ronaldinho by former Espanyol coach Mauricio Pochettino, who also said: “Philippe… he has a special magic in the doubles. my feet.”
Coutinho’s vision and elite passing ability have earned him the nickname “The Little Magician” among Liverpool fans. His natural ability also led the team’s supporters to nickname him “The Kid”.
Although he is naturally right-footed, Coutinho is capable of playing well with both feet and is especially good at shooting from long range. He has a penchant for scoring with curling shots with his right foot just outside or far away from the penalty area, especially after cutting inside from the left and sending the ball into the top corner.
