Philippe Coutinho has completed his move from Premier League club, Aston Villa to Qatari club, Al-Duhail on a season-long loan.
The 31-year-old Brazilian midfielder who made his name at Liverpool before he moved to FC Barcelona and then on loan at Bayern Munich, is expected to stay in the Asian country throughout the rest of the 2023-2024 season.
Last season, Philippe Coutinho showed that he was not up for elite football by managing to score just a goal in 22 appearances despite playing mostly as an attacking-minded midfielder or left-winger.
Hence, so far this season, the once promising footballer has played only twice for Villa all from the bench which goes to show that he is no longer important at the club.
Recall that Coutinho first joined Aston Villa on loan. Six months later, the club made the move permanent in July 2022 after impressing the then-coach of the club, Steven Gerrard who is now coaching in the Saudi Pro League.
The deal Coutinho signed with the club in July 2022 will expire on June 30, 2026, which means that he still has three seasons left to prove himself.
Before things turned sour for him, Aston Villa’s former coach, Gerrard described his £17 million move from Barcelona to Aston Villa as a “brilliant signing for the club.”
The Brazilian player proved how brilliant the move was when he scored in his debut to help Aston Villa draw 2-2 with Manchester United.
By the time his six-month loan ended at the end of the 2021-2022 season, Philippe Coutinho had scored five goals and provided three assists.
However, Coutinho had nagging injuries in the 2022-2023 season as Villa struggled under Gerrard, and he has only made two appearances since the hiring of the current manager Unai Emery in October 2022.
