Riqui Puig’s replacement at LA Galaxy could be former Brazil and Barcelona star amid mental health struggles
The 2026 Major League Soccer season is about to begin, but some clubs are still searching for players to finalize their rosters. That is the case for Los Angeles Galaxy, who will be without Riqui Puig this year due to a serious injury. In his place, they could add a midfielder who previously played for Barcelona and the Brazil national team.
According to Diario AS, Philippe Coutinho is being considered as a potential signing for this season by LA Galaxy after his recent departure from Vasco da Gama. “The 33-year-old midfielder reached an agreement with the Brazilian club and is now a free agent, sparking interest from several teams, including Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles Galaxy,” the report states.
“LA Galaxy have not yet submitted a formal offer, but sources say the club is interested and a move could be discussed soon,” AS adds. In that sense, the California club has considerable time to advance negotiations, given that the MLS transfer window does not close until March 26.
However, to complete Coutinho’s signing, LA Galaxy will first need to address an important issue: they must free up or acquire an international player slot in order to register the Brazilian star. The cost to purchase an additional slot is reportedly around $500,000.
Additionally, even if the deal goes through, Philippe Coutinho would not be eligible as a Designated Player. LA Galaxy’s three DP slots are already filled by Joao Klauss, Gabriel Pec, and Joseph Paintsil. Riqui Puig was removed from that list since he will not be ready to return to the field this season, still recovering from a second knee surgery after an ACL injury suffered in late 2024.
Coutinho could be a top-level addition in MLS
Philippe Coutinho has extensive experience at the elite level of soccer and could be an interesting addition to MLS. He shined for years at Liverpool until Barcelona paid more than $150 million for him in 2018, one of the most expensive transfers in soccer history. At the time, he was also a key player for the Brazil national team, appearing in the 2018 FIFA World Cup and three Copa America tournaments.
However, Coutinho’s star status gradually diminished over the years. He arrived in Spain tasked with replacing Neymar, who had moved to Paris Saint-Germain, but he never met expectations and spent the following years at various clubs—Bayern Munich, Aston Villa, and Al Duhail in Qatar—without ever fully settling in.
Coutinho’s current struggles
After moving between leagues around the world for years, Coutinho returned home in 2024 and joined Vasco da Gama, where he registered 80 appearances and 17 goals until early this year. However, last week the midfielder left the Brazilian club as a free agent.
He explained that the decision was due to the distress caused by criticism from Vasco da Gama fans, who were dissatisfied with his performance. “Being judged by countless people for something that is not part of my character is extremely difficult. I would never disrespect the fans, my teammates, or Vasco. I have never done that anywhere I’ve been,” he wrote on social media.
Finally, Coutinho clarified his main concern at the moment: “I felt and realized that my cycle at the club had ended, and I returned home to prioritize my mental health. That hurts a lot. The truth is, I am very mentally exhausted.”