Club now open to selling Man Utd target for €40m, he would "gladly return" to the Premier League - report

Juventus have set a price tag of €40 million for Manchester United target Douglas Luiz this summer, according to Corriere dello Sport (page 5).

The Brazil international had a fantastic 2023/24 campaign with Aston Villa, registering 10 goals and 10 assists from 53 appearances in all competitions.

Despite this, the Villans sold him to the Bianconeri for €50m last summer. Their pressing need to comply with Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) contributed to the decision.

Luiz had a forgettable debut campaign with the Turin giants. He managed just 877 minutes from 27 appearances and did not make a single goal contribution.

Corriere dello Sport now report that the Bianconeri are ready to cut their losses on Luiz with a €40m sale. The 27-year-old would ‘gladly return’ to the Premier League.

United were linked with a loan approach for Luiz at the start of the year, and it was recently reported that they could swap Jadon Sancho for the versatile midfielder.

Man Utd should propose loan deal for Luiz with buy clause

The Red Devils have lacked control in the centre of the park for some time. Casemiro is no longer in his prime and has struggled to cope with the intensity of the Premier League.

Manuel Ugarte was signed for a big sum from Paris Saint-Germain last summer, but he has been prone to losing possession as well. He needs to step up in his second year at the club.

Kobbie Mainoo started as a defensive or central midfielder at United, but manager Ruben Amorim has personally acknowledged that he is better in the number 10 role with lesser defensive duties.

Hence, there is room for another holding midfielder in the ranks. Luiz would be a perfect fit for the position, given his vast experience of playing in the Premier League with Villa.

Luiz can operate from both the number six and number eight roles. In his final season at Villa, he managed 20 goal contributions and also excelled with other crucial attributes.

He had a passing accuracy of 89 percent with 5.3 recoveries and 1.7 tackles won per game. Amorim likes to work with tireless midfielders, and Luiz would be an ideal acquisition.

Despite this, we feel United should pursue a loan deal with a buy option, which could become an obligation if certain conditions are met during the 2025/26 campaign.

Luiz has been playing in a less intense and more tactical league in Serie A. An initial loan would help United assess whether he can revive his old form from his Villa days.

Stats from Transfermarkt.com & Sofascore.com

Article written by Sri Aswin .