Cuca leaves the door open for Coutinho after Santos beat Atlético-MG | OneFootball

Cuca kept talk of negotiations to a minimum but said Philippe Coutinho would be welcome at Santos after a 2-0 win over Atlético-MG in the Copa Sudamericana quarter-final first leg.

According to Globo.com, Neymar has invited the former Brazil midfielder to join Santos. Cuca said he does not usually discuss players who are not signed, but described Coutinho as a top player and said the door is open, adding that if he comes, he will help.

Coutinho has not played since February, after terminating his contract with Vasco to focus on his mental health.

Despite the advantage, Cuca warned against complacency. Santos can lose by one goal next Wednesday, 19:00 Brasília time, at Arena MRV and still reach the semi-finals.

He said an early goal for Atlético-MG could change the tie and noted his side are not used to playing on artificial turf.

Before the second leg, Santos host Cruzeiro in the Campeonato Brasileiro on Saturday at 21:00 at Vila Belmiro.

Source: Globo.com

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”