Juventus have reportedly performed a drastic transfer U-turn on midfielder Douglas Luiz, and it may just be what Manchester United needed to get a deal over the line.
Following an extremely poor 2024/25 season, United are looking to overhaul their squad. While most of the focus has so far been on strengthening the attacking department, the midfield is an area of the pitch that the club could also look at, especially if funds allow.
Last month, it was mentioned that United are considering signing a midfielder on loan.
The Red Devils continue to be linked to a number of midfielders including Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace), Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace), Ederson (Atalanta), James McAtee (Manchester City), Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City), Fabian Ruiz (Paris Saint-Germain) and of course, Douglas Luiz.
Luiz on United’s radar
Luiz endured a frustrating first campaign at Juventus, managing just 867 minutes of football in 27 appearances across all competitions.
Injuries played their part in preventing him from nailing down a spot in the team and a consistent run of form. However, even when he was fit, Luiz was constantly overlooked for other midfield options.
Juventus are keen on offloading him, having paid £42.5m just a year ago to lure him away from Aston Villa.
United are believed to be interested in signing Luiz, who is believed to be open to sealing a return to the Premier League in a bid to revive his career.
There have been suggestions that a swap deal, involving Jadon Sancho going the other way, is on the cards. Sancho has been in talks with Juventus over a switch to Turin and Luiz could be included in the deal as a makeweight.
Juventus now open to loaning out Luiz amidst limited interest
According to Italian news outlet Tuttomercatoweb, Juventus were aiming to sell Luiz in a straightforward deal but there has been limited interest in him.
As such, they’ve had a change of heart and are now willing to sanction a loan exit, with the hope that he impresses wherever he goes and completes a permanent move next summer.
“Juventus can loan Douglas Luiz. After the idea of selling him for a high sum, around 40 million euros, the Bianconeri could enter the mindset of temporarily sending him away, perhaps in the Premier League.”
“This is however aimed at a possible permanent transfer in a season, when he will be on the books for around 30 million euros. It remains to be seen what the parameters for the loan could be.”
Tuttomercatoweb add that in addition to United, Fulham and Everton are other possible destinations for the Brazilian.
Featured image Francesco Pecoraro via Getty Images
Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social
Derick Kinoti
Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the game extensively for many years. He is a keen analyst with expertise in SEO and journalism standards. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!
