Philippe Coutinho linked with a shock return to his former club for £5m amid doubts over his future under Unai Emery at Aston Villa

Aston Villa midfielder Philippe Coutinho could change his club in the upcoming summer transfer window.

The Brazilian player is currently on loan in Qatar, at Al-Duhail SC.

He is reportedly not in Unai Emery's plans after playing just 24 minutes in the Premier League this season. 

According to TNT Sports Brazil, Vasco da Gama are interested in loaning Coutinho, with a purchase obligation for between £4m and £6m. 

Coutinho played in Vasco da Gama youth club for nine years, just before moving to Inter Milan for £3.2m, although he stayed on loan in the first team for a year, making 43 appearances while scoring 5 goals. 

Coutinho, 31, has endured a difficult time at Villa amid injury problems, which have plagued him throughout his career. 

He had previously been linked with a move to Inter Miami to join former Barcelona team-mates Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.

They could reunite after playing in Barcelona, which paid £140m for Coutinho's move from Liverpool in 2018, the third-highest transfer fee in football history, after Neymar and Kylian Mbappe moves to PSG.

Despite being wanted by Steven Gerrard, the midfielder has failed to impress Emery following a £17m move in 2022.

According to TransferMarkt, his current market value is £6.4m, a fall of 95% compared to October 2018 when it was £128m. 

Coutinho has made 20 appearances at his current club, while scoring six goals and providing three assists.