Man City Keen to Sign ‘World-Class’ Star Before the Deadline.
Manchester City are considering swooping for Juventus midfielder Douglas Luiz but want to bring the Brazilian back to the Etihad on loan while the Serie A giants are looking to sell him, GIVEMESPORT sources have exclusively revealed on our brand-new Market Madness podcast.
Luiz has struggled to impress in Turin since joining Juve from Aston Villa last summer for around £42.3 million, failing to earn regular game time under Thiago Motta at the Allianz Stadium. The 26-year-old has made just three starts in 13 Serie A games, although he dealt with muscle fatigue earlier this season.
Manchester City are continuing to overhaul Pep Guardiola’s squad amid a challenging campaign that has led to a remarkable fall from grace and the likelihood of the Cityzens surrendering the Premier League title for the first time since 2020. Egyptian forward Omar Marmoush (£59.2 million), Uzbek defender Abdukodir Khusanov (£33.8 million) and Brazilian centre-back Vitor Reis (£29.6 million) have all arrived at the Etihad and their business doesn’t look to be over.
Manchester City Pondering Douglas Luiz Loan
Cityzens Unlikely To Pursue Permanent Deal
Guardiola may be keen to strengthen midfield before the window closes on February 3 as he’ll be without 2024 Ballon d’Or winner Rodri (ACL injury) for the rest of the season. No replacement arrived for the Spanish defensive midfielder last summer, which has been problematic throughout the campaign. Luiz is an option for City, although the reigning Premier League champions prefer to sign their former youngster on loan.
Ben Jacobs explained on the latest GIVEMESPORT Market Madness podcast that Juventus’ stance is that the player leaves on a permanent £45 million deal if a January departure is to take place:
“I still think that they could be in the market for a midfielder. I know we hear a lot of reports as well about [Andrea] Cambiaso coming in. It’s true that City like him, maybe one for the summer, but City are going to be very busy right up until deadline day.
“Douglas Luiz returning to Manchester City is not ruled out of the question, but they want a loan, whereas Juventus, at the moment, are saying it’s a £45 million signing. So, it’s not an easy one, but City are alert to opportunities.”
Luiz – described as “world-class” by former teammate John McGinn – was a standout performer under Unai Emery at Villa last season and many were surprised he was allowed to leave when Juve swooped last summer. He excelled in the middle of the park for the Villans, with an impressive tally of nine goals and five assists in 35 league outings, helping them on their way to UEFA Champions League qualification.
City are also eyeing Luiz’s teammate Andrea Cambiasso, 24, but a pursuit of the versatile Italian full-back is expected next summer, which leaves a new midfield signing as the most likely arrival before the winter window closes. Luiz didn’t make a single appearance for the Cityzens during his two-year spell at the Etihad, spending one season on loan at sister club Girona in La Liga.
All statistics courtesy of SofaScore – correct as of 29/01/2025.
