Ex-Liverpool star Phillippe Coutinho set to join up with former Barcelona teammates in surprise move

Former Liverpool star Phillippe Coutinho could be set to reunite with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez at Inter Miami, according to the latest reports.

Coutinho, 31, left Aston Villa in the summer to join Qatar side Al Duhail on a season-long-loan and has featured 11 times since September. His side have competed in the AFC Champions League and faced off against Sadio Mane and Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr in a highly entertaining pair of group games which saw them lose 3-2 and 4-3, with the Brazilian managing to net twice in the former.

He's managed four goals and one assist overall but his head may have been turned by a brilliant opportunity to go and play in the United States with Messi and Suarez. According to Spanish newspaper AS, his limited game time could see the Brazilian ace be reunited with Messi at Inter Miami this January.

A move to Florida would also see him link up with ex-teammates such as Messi, Suarez and the duo of Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba. However, LA Galaxy are also interested in his services, but no approach has made to Villa as of yet.

Villa boss Unai Emery recently spoke on the future of the Brazilian, he said: "Philippe is a very good person and always we have to respect him as a person, firstly. Secondly, as a player, he has played at a very high level. He has not been consistent because of injuries and we decided with him speaking and agreeing with him to try that if something is good for him, and good for the club, and for the squad, we can let him leave. Then he can find his good performance as a player."

Coutinho departed Liverpool in January 2018 for a fee of around £146m which still sees him stand as the third most expensive player of all time, behind Kylian Mbappe and Neymar. That transfer allowed Liverpool to move forward with the signings of both Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker which helped build the foundations for the successes over the last six years.