Liverpool earns millions thanks to Philippe Coutinho on his birthday eight years after transfer

Liverpool has pocketed a windfall on a player it sold eight years ago — and it is all down to Philippe Coutinho. The former Liverpool playmaker turned 32 on Wednesday and is closing in on a return to Vasco da Gama.

Coutinho, who remains on Aston Villa's books, spent last season on loan in Qatar with Al-Duhail. But that loan spell has come to an end and he is expected to rejoin his boyhood club Vasco after falling completely out of favor at Villa Park.

And Al-Duhail has moved to replace him immediately by completing a deal to sign another ex-Liverpool player in Luis Alberto from Lazio.

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Alberto announced his plans to leave Lazio after eight years at the end of the season, having made over 300 appearances for the Serie A side. He has now completed a $11m (£8.4m/€10m) move to Qatar.

And that move has landed Liverpool a seven-figure profit due to a clause it inserted in his $6.5m (£5m/€6m) move to Lazio in 2016. The 31-year-old struggled to make any meaningful impact in his time at Anfield, having arrived three years earlier.

Alberto made just 12 appearances and had loan spells with Malaga and Deportivo La Coruna before moving to Italy. Liverpool agreed a clause in that move to receive 30 per cent of any future transfer fee. It is believed his move to Qatar will see the Reds earn around $3.2m (£2.5m/€3m).

Coutinho meanwhile will be hoping to get things back on track back in Brazil. He was 26 when he left Liverpool for Barcelona in 2018 but it is a move that has not really paid off for the former No.10.

He did enjoy a brief renaissance in England at Villa, after being signed by ex-teammate Steven Gerrard. But he is not part of Unai Emery's plans and is set to return to the club where it all started.

Liverpool.com says: Coutinho and Alberto had very different impacts during their time at Liverpool but their respective moves will still impact the Reds. The former has not had the best of times since leaving Anfield and will now hope to see out his career back with his former club. You do wonder what might have been for him, had he stayed with Liverpool.