Coutinho joins Neymar at Santos for rest of season

What the report says

Philippe Coutinho has joined Santos on a contract running until the end of the season, reuniting him with close friend and Brazil teammate Neymar. BBC Sport Football reported that the 34-year-old midfielder moved from Vasco da Gama, where he had been without a club since leaving in February. Santos are Coutinho’s latest stop after a career that has included Inter Milan, Liverpool, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Aston Villa and Al-Duhail.

The transfer means Coutinho and Neymar will play together at club level for the first time. Santos marked the signing on social media with posts showing the pair together, including images referencing their time as teenagers and a video of Coutinho arriving at the dressing room. According to the BBC report, he told Neymar in the video: “if it’s a dream, I don’t want to wake up”.

Coutinho returned to Vasco in 2024 after beginning his career there, but departed after 81 appearances, saying he was mentally tired. He previously made his biggest European impact at Liverpool, scoring 54 goals in 201 games before his high-profile move to Barcelona in 2018. The move to Santos adds another chapter to Neymar’s return to his childhood club and gives the Brazilian side two familiar names with strong ties to the national team, which may boost attention around the club in the remainder of the campaign.