On Thursday, Aston Villa midfielder Philippe Coutinho had his presentation at Vasco da Gama, where he’s initially staying on loan for a year.
The Brazilian side’s hope had always been to get him on a permanent deal, but with the lack of an agreement, they’re happy with a temporary move for now.
It turns out that Vasco are actually quite worried that their rivals Flamengo could buy Coutinho from Aston Villa next year, and according to Globo Esporte, they included a special clause in the contract.
The reason for all that concern is that Flamengo had already shown interest in Coutinho before, and Vasco would surely be gutted to see one of their heroes playing for their biggest opponents right after this loan.
Aston Villa are certainly not worried about that, and will be hoping the player does well in Brazil, so there’s a bigger chance of a sale next year. Coutinho’s contract with the Premier League side runs until 2026.
