Philippe Coutinho’s career has taken a downward spiral since leaving Liverpool in 2018, with the Brazilian magician now plying his trade in the Qatari Stars League
Philippe Coutinho left Liverpool for Barcelona in 2018 (Image: PA)
Philippe Coutinho’s career hasn’t turned out quite how he would’ve liked since leaving Liverpool in 2018.
The Brazilian magician’s stock was at an all-time high when Barcelona came calling. He had established himself as one of the Premier League’s finest imports under the guidance of Jurgen Klopp and had become the Reds’ talisman.
He was unable to resist the lure of Barcelona, though, who shelled out an astronomical sum of £142million to prise him away from Liverpool. Coutinho himself admitted that the move to the Nou Camp was a “dream” one.
But Barcelona were far from the only club courting Coutinho at the time. Paris Saint-Germain were one of those suitors. One year on from signing the likes of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, the French giants were doing all they could to assemble a super team.
Unsurprisingly, they set their sights on snaring Coutinho. Reports in Spain at the time of Coutinho’s move claimed that Neymar even stepped in to try and convince his compatriot to snub Barcelona – his former club – and instead join him in Paris (via the Mirror).
Neymar reportedly WhatsApped Coutinho to get him to join PSG
But Neymar’s WhatsApp messages failed to hit the mark and Coutinho completed the formalities of his blockbuster switch to the Nou Camp. The move to Barcelona didn’t quite pan out for Coutinho.
After a promising start with 10 goals in 22 games, his form dipped and he only managed 11 goals in 54 matches the following season. Coutinho was then loaned out to Bayern Munich for the 2019/20 season. Despite a productive stint, he was back at square one when Bayern chose not to sign him permanently.
Coutinho’s time at Barcelona didn’t go particularly well (Image: Getty Images)
Interestingly, it was a return to the Premier League that revived Coutinho’s career. A reunion with Steven Gerrard at Aston Villa led to a successful six-month loan which turned into a permanent deal.
However, Coutinho soon faded into obscurity again. He struggled to replicate his impressive loan form during his first full season at Villa Park and found himself on the fringes of Unai Emery’s plans for the 2023/24 campaign.
With little interest from other clubs, Coutinho joined the exodus of stars heading to the Middle East late in the transfer window. But instead of the Saudi Pro League, he ended up in the Qatar Stars League with Al Duhail.