Philippe Coutinho has joined Brazilian club Santos FC for the remainder of the season, reuniting with his close friend and Brazil teammate Neymar. The 34-year-old midfielder had been without a club since departing Vasco da Gama in February.
Coutinho returned to his boyhood club Vasco in 2024 but left after 81 appearances, citing mental fatigue. Santos announced the signing on social media, sharing a photograph of Coutinho and Neymar as teenagers and a recent recreation of the pose in a gym setting. A video released by the club shows Coutinho entering the dressing room and being greeted by Neymar with a hug.
"If it's a dream, I don't want to wake up," Coutinho said upon reuniting with Neymar. Neymar also returned to his childhood club, Santos, in January of the previous year. This marks the first time the two players will compete together at the club level.
Coutinho began his career at Vasco before moving to Inter Milan. He then joined Liverpool in 2013, where he scored 54 goals in 201 games, before his transfer to Barcelona for a reported £142 million in 2018. His career has also included spells at Bayern Munich, Aston Villa, and Al-Duhail before his recent stint at Vasco.