Philippe Coutinho has signed for Santos, reuniting with his childhood friend and former Brazil international team-mate Neymar, six months after he dramatically quit boyhood club Vasco da Gama.
The 34-year-old midfielder has joined the Brazilian side for the remainder of the season, with Santos confirming the move on social media on 14 September 2026.
Coutinho marked the transfer by posing for a photograph with Neymar, recreating an old picture of the pair from their days together in Brazil's youth set-up, this time taken on a digital camera.
Speaking for the first time as a Santos player on Monday, Coutinho confirmed that Neymar had played a major part in his decision to make the move.
"Neymar certainly played a very important role in my coming here," Coutinho said. "He's a player who needs no introduction, a friend I've had since childhood, and I think he was the first person in football to send me a message when I left Vasco."
He explained that Neymar messaged him the day after he left Vasco, but he turned the approach down at the time. "The next day he had already sent me a message, but at that moment I said: 'Look Ney, it would be a pleasure to play with you, but I'm not feeling well right now, it's not possible' and it really didn't make sense to me," Coutinho said. "Months later he contacted me again, but my answer was the same. Then two weeks ago he sent me another message... Then I stopped, reconsidered... I wanted to go back to playing football and I thought: 'Why not?'"
"I'm going to a big club, in another city," he added. "It would be unfair to me not being able to go back to work and not being able to go back to playing football. I wanted to thank the president, Mattos and Ney. I'm happy to accept this challenge."
Why Coutinho stepped away from Vasco
Coutinho confirmed his departure from Vasco da Gama in February, saying in an emotional social media statement at the time that he was "mentally exhausted."
He had rejoined the Rio de Janeiro club on a permanent deal last year, following a loan spell during his time at Aston Villa, and had appeared likely to extend his stay. However, after being repeatedly booed by his own fans in his final weeks there, he decided it was the right time to step back from playing for a period.
"The truth is, I'm very mentally exhausted," he said in his statement. "I've always been very reserved, so saying this here isn't easy, but I need to be honest. My relationship with Vasco is one of love. And it will continue to be forever. With a heavy heart, I understand that now is the time to take a step back and end this chapter at Vasco. I am grateful for everything I experienced here. I will carry Vasco with me forever. In my heart. In my history. In my life. From the bottom of my heart... Thank you for everything."
From Vasco's academy to Europe's elite
Coutinho came through Vasco da Gama's youth academy before being scouted by Italian club Inter Milan in 2008, returning to Vasco on loan for a brief spell as a teenager.
He impressed at Inter's San Siro stadium as a youngster before signing for Liverpool in 2013, where he spent five years, prior to moving to Barcelona in a transfer that remains one of the most expensive in football history.
During his time at Anfield, Coutinho made 152 appearances for Liverpool and scored 41 goals. The fee from his sale to Barcelona enabled Liverpool to sign several important players under then-manager Jurgen Klopp, including Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker.
