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Santos announced the signing of Philippe Coutinho on Tuesday, with the club stating in a release that the contract runs until December 31, 2026. The statement described the player as possessing recognised technical quality and game vision in addition to a winning career in Europe and with the Brazilian national team. Coutinho had been without a club since departing Vasco da Gama in February, according to details published by Wikipedia. The move marks the first occasion that Coutinho and Neymar will feature together at club level after years of collaboration with the national side.
Coutinho left Vasco da Gama citing pressure from fans and mental exhaustion, a Transfermarkt player profile noted. Opta Analyst data shows he recorded eight goals and three assists in 29 league appearances during his most recent stint with the club in the 2025-26 campaign. Prior to that, the Rio de Janeiro native had returned to Vasco on loan from Aston Villa in 2024, where he contributed four goals across 31 matches. His earlier European career included a £142 million transfer from Liverpool to Barcelona in 2018, Liverpool Echo archives confirm.
During five seasons at Liverpool the midfielder scored 41 goals in 152 matches, figures from Opta Analyst indicate. He subsequently featured on loan at Bayern Munich, winning the Champions League, before spells at Aston Villa, Al Duhail in Qatar and a permanent return to Vasco. Coutinho earned 68 caps for Brazil and scored 21 international goals before stepping away from national team duty in 2022, according to his Wikipedia entry.
Current Brazilian Serie A standings place Santos 10th with 35 points from 26 matches, league tables on tribuna.com show. The club, under coach Cuca and captained by Neymar, has collected nine wins, eight draws and nine losses so far this season. Recent results include a 2-0 victory over Atletico Mineiro in the Copa Sudamericana quarter-finals and a 3-2 win at Internacional, FBref match logs report.
Neymar welcomed the arrival by praising the signing on social media, the Liverpool Echo reported. Coutinho revealed that his former teammate played a very important role in the decision to join Santos, according to remarks carried by Goal.com. The pair have maintained a close bond since featuring together for Brazil at various youth levels and in the senior squad.
Santos has operated under a transfer embargo until recently, which was lifted after Neymar’s family agency settled an outstanding debt, Goal.com reported. The club has competed in both domestic and continental competitions this season, advancing in the Copa Sudamericana while maintaining a mid-table position in Serie A. Coutinho is expected to wear the number 11 shirt and add midfield creativity as the campaign enters its closing phase.
