"Thinking about it": Man Utd can now sign €50m star for nothing, he's a Casemiro upgrade - opinion

Manchester United are contemplating a possible swap deal with Juventus during the summer transfer window, according to Corriere dello Sport.

The Red Devils are likely to make several additions to the squad ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

The club have already purchased Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers while talks are advancing with Brentford over a deal for Bryan Mbeumo.

Corriere dello Sport today claim that the Red Devils are eager to land a new midfielder. There is a possibility of a straight-exchange deal with the Bianconeri.

United and Juventus hold an interest in signing Douglas Luiz and Jadon Sancho respectively. With both players valued at €30 million, an ‘equal exchange’ could be on the cards.

Sancho is open to accepting a pay cut to join the Bianconeri as he prefers to continue his career at another top-tier club. Fenerbahce are no longer in the race.

United are reportedly ‘thinking about it’ as Sancho appears to have only Juventus in mind.

Luiz would be an upgrade on Casemiro

Luiz was one of the best midfielders in the Premier League in his final year at Aston Villa. He registered 10 goals and 10 assists from 53 appearances during the 2023/24 season.

Despite this, the Midlands outfit sanctioned his sale to the Bianconeri for €50m before July last year.

Villa’s pressing need to comply with Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) contributed to the decision to part ways with the Brazil international.

Luiz has since failed to adapt to Italian football. He had an injury-plagued campaign and also struggled to make the starting XI. He managed just 877 minutes from 27 appearances.

The midfielder was a loan target for the Red Devils in January, and the opportunity to land him on a straight-swap deal for Sancho should be tempting for the club’s hierarchy.

In our view, Luiz would provide an upgrade on Casemiro in central midfield. He has a tireless work rate and better mobility compared to Casemiro, who is no longer in his prime.

The 27-year-old is strong in duels, interceptions and does not shy away from tackling. He is also a good distributor with a passing accuracy of almost 90 percent in recent years.

Casemiro had a good run in last season’s Europa League, but has been found out in the Premier League due to his reduced mobility. United need a workhorse, and Luiz would be a perfect fit.

With Manuel Ugarte’s inconsistency last term, Luiz could make the number six position his own. In our view, it appears a no-brainer decision to sign the former Villa man in a swap deal.

Stats from Transfermarkt.com & Sofascore.com

Article written by Sri Aswin .