I already posted this on the Brazilian forum, but what the hell.
Here's an article about
Phillippe Coutinho. I'll translate the gist of it:
Now it's official: Youngster Phillippe Coutinho, 16 years old, Vasco's biggest youth-squad promise, has been sold to Internazionale Milano for €4 millions.
The deal was closed 20 days ago, one day before Roberto Dinamite took his place as Vasco's new president. The previous administration, headed by Eurico Miranda, held a meeting to present the situation to the new administrators.
Philippe's representatives made the offer that worked best for Vasco - the player stays two more years in the club - but explained that there would be other ways to close the deal if the directors didn't accept this option.
Therefore, last month the player signed a contract with the Rio team, his first professional contract, already under the rules established by this deal, and with his wages being paid by Internazionale - initiallly €600 thousand a year
(around R$1 million), increasing progressively, until the fifth year of the agreement, when the amount will reach €1 million
(around R$2,5 millions).
(...)
Vasco's current administrators intended to keep this deal discreet. However, a rumor about the player being transferred to Real Madrid led to the truth about the Internazionale transfer being leaked to the press.
Phillippe Coutinho has been training, twice a week, with Vasco's professional roster. He has been called for the Brasilian Team that will play the 9th Toyota U-16 International Championship, to be played in Japan between August 7th and 11th.
Coutinho already scored 16 goals for youth-divisions Brasilian NTs - two in 2006, nine in 2007 and five in 2008. Through his youth-divisions career he already scored 106 times.
For the Brasilian NT, he already participated in the conquests of the 6th Mediterranean Internacional Football Cup/2006
(U-15 category); the 7th Mediterranean Internacional Football Cup in 2007
(U-15); the 3rd South American Championship/2007
(U-15) and the 8th Mediterranean Internacional Football Cup/2008
(U-16).
Name: Phillippe Coutinho Correia
Born: June 12th 1992, in Rio de Janeiro (RJ)
Height:1,72m
Weight: 64kg
Position: Attacking midfielder
Goals scored: 90 (Vasco) / 16 (Brasilian NT)