Former Aston Villa playmaker Philippe Coutinho has ended a seven-month spell without a club after joining Santos until the end of the Brazilian season.
The 34-year-old reunites with former Brazil teammate Neymar, although the pair have never previously played together at club level.
Santos announced Coutinho’s arrival after Neymar had already welcomed him in a social-media video, with the pair embracing as the former Villa midfielder began his latest chapter.
Reuters reports that Coutinho has signed for the remainder of the season after leaving Vasco da Gama earlier this year.
Philippe Coutinho starts new chapter after Aston Villa spell
Coutinho’s latest move continues a dramatic change in trajectory since his high-profile return to the Premier League with Villa.
Steven Gerrard initially brought the Brazilian to Villa Park on loan from Barcelona in January 2022 before the deal was made permanent for around £17million.
Coutinho made an immediate impact during his loan spell but gradually lost his influence after completing the permanent move.
He eventually scored six goals in 43 appearances for Villa before spending time away from the club with Al-Duhail and Vasco.
Read Aston Villa previously covered how Gerrard was expected to rely heavily on Coutinho after his permanent arrival, underlining the expectations surrounding the transfer.
Santos now offers Coutinho another opportunity to rebuild momentum.
Neymar played an important role in bringing his former international teammate to the club and personally welcomed him before the official announcement.
For Coutinho, it represents another fresh start in a career that has taken him from Liverpool and Barcelona to Villa Park and now back into Brazilian football.
