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Pep Guardiola After divorce hits transfer obstacle Man City ‘exploring’ deal for £43.5m Juventus man to up their game.
As they look at possible midfield acquisitions for the second half of the season, Manchester City is reportedly thinking about getting back together with former player Douglas Luiz.
Pep Guardiola approved the Juventus lynchpin’s transfer to Aston Villa in 2019, but he never gave him the opportunity to establish his value while he was on the team from 2017 to 2019.
But Luiz thrived at the West Midlands, becoming known as one of the top flight’s best performers in his position and landing a £43.5 million summer transfer to Juventus.
However, the 26-year-old has struggled to establish himself in Turin, starting just three games for Thiago Motta’s team in Serie A and failing to record a goal or assist in 16 appearances across all competitions.
Despite missing 11 games in all tournaments thus far due to muscular problems, Luiz has only played 49 minutes in three Champions League replacement appearances.
Luiz has a four-and-a-half-year contract with the Bianconeri, but The Athletic reports that City is now considering whether to bring him back to the Etihad.
Man City is ‘exploring numerous alternatives’ for the midfield acquisition.
According to the rumor, the Premier League winners would only be interested in signing the South American on loan for the conclusion of the season; there is no commitment or choice to extend the agreement.
Juventus, however, is not interested in allowing Luiz to depart on a temporary basis and would like to sell him completely this month or require that any deal contain an obligation to buy.
If Luiz wants to return to the Premier League, where he made 175 games for Aston Villa, Juventus would have to compromise on their demands, since Man City doesn’t seem interested in such a trade.
Although Man City is ‘exploring numerous options’ to strengthen their engine room for the upcoming few seasons, the former Vasco da Gama teenager is reportedly not the only midfield target on their wish list months.
Why is City interested in re-signing Luiz?
If Sunday’s 6-0 thumping of Ipswich Town is any indication, Man City is gradually beginning to revert to its former ways, but their chances of winning the Premier League for a sixth consecutive year are all but gone.
Ballon d’Or winner Rodri suffered a devastating knee injury during the Citizens’ unexpected fall collapse. He is in a race against time to return before the season ends, and his absence has cost Guardiola his most important player.
Mateo Kovacic has missed a few games due to injury this season, and Ilkay Gundogan, one of just two new recruits in the summer along with Brazilian forward Savinho, has had difficulty adjusting to the Premier League.
Man City is closing in on agreements for Abdukodir Khusanov, Omar Marmoush, and Vitor Reis, so re-signing Luiz or acquiring another midfield player would extend the team’s massive winter spending binge.
The Sky Blues just signed Erling Haaland to an outrageous nine-and-a-half-year contract deal, and they are also expected to launch a £54.7 million bid for Luiz’s Juventus teammate Andrea Cambiaso.
