Aston Villa have officially confirmed the permanent departure of playmaker Philippe Coutinho, who has rejoined his boyhood club Vasco da Gama.

Coutinho originally arrived at Villa Park on loan from Barcelona in January 2022, following a £142 million move to the Spanish giants. After impressing initially, he signed a permanent deal under then-manager Steven Gerrard in the summer of 2022. However, his time at the club failed to live up to expectations, with limited impact on the pitch.

The former Liverpool star, whose career has also included stints at Inter Milan and Bayern Munich, found himself out of favor following Unai Emery’s arrival as manager. He was first loaned to Qatari side Al-Duhail before joining Vasco da Gama on loan last summer.

With no future at Villa under Emery—who has reshaped the squad and guided the club to a third consecutive European campaign—Coutinho’s exit seemed inevitable. Reports suggest Villa were willing to terminate his contract a year early to facilitate the move, as the Brazilian still had 12 months remaining on his four-year deal.

Vasco had long aimed to bring the 33-year-old back permanently, and have now completed the deal, securing the return of one of their most celebrated academy graduates.

Coutinho made 43 appearances for Aston Villa, scoring six goals. In a statement, the club said:
“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.”