Former Liverpool star Coutinho joins Al Duhail on loan from Villa
Manchester, England (THE AP) Philippe Coutinho, who has represented some of Europe’s top football clubs,
signed a loan agreement lasting a season with Qatari team Al Duhail on Friday.
Following the lure of the rich league in Saudi Arabia, the former playmaker for Liverpool, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Inter Milan made his move.
Al Duhail praised the Brazil international after receiving word of his arrival and referred to him as a “great asset.”
The 31-year-old Coutinho broke a record for Barcelona when he signed a contract with the Catalan club in 2018 that could have cost up to 160 million euros ($192 million at the time).
His tenure at the Nou Camp, however, did not go as planned because of injury issues, which caused him to fall short of expectations and resulted in loan stints at Bayern and Villa. He signed a permanent contract with Villa last year, but after making just two substitute appearances this campaign, it seemed like he was not in boss Unai Emery’s plans. He appeared in 43 games for Villa and netted six goals.
The money made from Coutinho’s transfer from Inter to Liverpool in 2013 had a significant role in
The Merseyside team won the Premier League and the Champions League the following years thanks to Jurgen Klopp’s renovation.
Al Duhail, which won the Qatar league last year, is hoping that the addition of Coutinho will increase its prospects of winning the Asian Champions League.
The men’s World Cup was held in Qatar last year, but Saudi Arabia has emerged as the leading soccer nation ever since.
The Saudi league spent about $1 billion on new players during the most recent transfer window, including A-listers like Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Karim Benzema, and Sadio Mane.
