Ex-Premier League icon Philippe Coutinho, 34, completes free transfer to new club after SEVEN MONTHS unemployed

PHILIPPE COUTINHO is no longer a free agent after agreeing to a blockbuster deal with Santos. The former Barcelona and Liverpool midfielder signed a contract with the Brazilian side until December 2026. Philippe Coutinho has agreed a blockbuster deal to Santos Credit: Getty The former Liverpool and Barca star has been without a club since February Credit: Getty Coutinho, 34, has been without a club since asking Vasco da Gama to rip up his contract in February. Despite moving back to his boyhood club in 2024, the Brazilian only made 81 appearances in the black and white shirt before moving on. Sign up for the Football newsletter Thank you! As he announced his departure last year, he admitted that it was “time to take a step back” as he chose to prioritise his mental health. Now, Coutinho has made it clear that there was ONE superstar that played a role in a getting him to Santos. Neymar Jr. reportedly dropped the ace a message. Coutinho said: “Neymar definitely played an important role in my life. “A player who needs no introduction, a friend I’ve had since childhood. He was the first person in football to message me when I left Vasco. “He messaged me the next day. I said it would be a pleasure to play with him, but that at that moment it wasn’t possible, I wasn’t feeling well. Most read in Sport BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS Coutinho impressed that it was childhood pal Neymar who convinced him to join Credit: Reuters “It didn’t make sense to me. “He spoke to me again a few months later, and my answer was the same. And time passed. “Two weeks ago, he sent another message, and I reconsidered.” Coutinho had been linked with a move to Mexican side Pumas in April, but ultimately decided against it. Neymar and Coutinho have been friends since their days at Vasco da Gama together Now the Brazilian boys will take on the Serie A side by side Neymar, who returned to Santos in January 2025, took to social media to welcome his new team-mate after his announcement. In a heartwarming gesture, the club posted an old snap of them together as teenagers, alongside a pic of them recreating the pose in the gym now. A video of the two aces reuniting in the dressing room was also shared, it said “if it’s a dream, I don’t want to wake up”. Coutinho’s glittering CV features the biggest teams in the world, starting at Vasco before making the £3.3million move to Inter Milan as a 16-year-old. A blockbuster £8.5m transfer arrived in 2013 to Liverpool, where he scored a stunning 54 goals in 201 games. Eventually he headed to Barcelona for £142m in 2018. His journeyman career also reached Bayern Munich and Aston Villa. Comment now