Manchester City are considering a potential loan move for Douglas Luiz as the Premier League champions assess their midfield options this month.
Pep Guardiola has faced a shortage of quality cover in the No. 6 role following Rodri’s season-ending anterior cruciate ligament injury in September, compounded by Mateo Kovacic’s ongoing fitness issues.
While City are admirers of Atalanta and Brazil midfielder Ederson, prying the 25-year-old away from the Serie A title contenders during the current transfer window appears unlikely. As a result, the club is exploring alternative options.
Luiz, 26, has struggled for game time at Juventus since joining from Aston Villa for £42 million last summer and is reportedly available this month. Juventus are said to prefer either a permanent sale or a loan with an obligation to buy, while City would favor a straightforward loan without additional conditions if they proceed with the deal.
Though Luiz is not City’s top target, he is a familiar name, having previously been on their books from 2017 to 2019. With Premier League experience under his belt, he could fit the club’s need for an immediate impact player.
City have also shown interest in Juventus left-back Andrea Cambiaso but are unlikely to pursue a deal for him during this window.
Luiz, who has been linked with Arsenal in the past, joined City from Vasco da Gama in 2017 but spent two seasons on loan at Girona in Spain due to work permit issues in the UK. He later spent five seasons at Aston Villa, scoring 22 goals in 204 appearances for the club.
City’s £120m January splurge
Manchester City’s emphatic 6-0 victory over Ipswich Town on Sunday propelled Pep Guardiola’s side back into the Premier League’s top four. The manager is keen to secure the right midfield addition this month, alongside the club’s other ongoing transfer activities.
Egyptian forward Omar Marmoush is set to arrive in Manchester within the next 24 hours for a medical, as City aim to finalize his £59 million transfer from Eintracht Frankfurt. Additionally, the club is working on deals for centre-backs Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis, from Lens and Palmeiras respectively, valued at £33.6 million and £29.4 million.
Meanwhile, City captain Kyle Walker is hopeful that his potential move to AC Milan will gain traction this week, although the Italian club had yet to submit a formal offer by Monday morning.
“Everyone knows that Walker is a great player, he did great things at City,” Milan’s senior advisor Zlatan Ibrahimovic told DAZN when asked about Walker before Saturday’s defeat by Juventus.
“When there is someone like him on the market there is a lot of interest. It doesn’t go against our vision, because he is strong, he is a leader, he has dominance in the dressing room. Now we are checking if it is possible.
“We talk to [coach Sergio] Conceicao every day, to have a dialogue with him and understand what he likes and what he doesn’t like. We know what is needed and now we work. The team is strong. What do we need? In the transfer market, the more I say it, the more it costs, better not to say it.
“The team, as I said, is already strong. We showed in the Super Cup that it is a team that can win, now we need continuity.”
