Manchester City pondering Douglas Luiz reunion amid midfield malaise

Manchester City have lined up Juventus midfielder Douglas Luiz as a potential target should they choose to bolster their options in the centre of the pitch this January, according to The Athletic.

Pep Guardiola’s men have been active in the transfer window so far as they close in on the additions of Adbukodir Khusanov, Victor Reis and Omar Marmoush from Lens, Palmeiras and Eintracht Frankfurt respectively.

Nonetheless, City remain open to further reinforcement and are expected to pursue midfield acquisitions should they elect to conduct further business before the close of the current market.

Having lost reigning Ballon d’Or holder Rodri to an anterior cruciate ligament injury earlier this season, City have seen their form significantly dwindle as they currently trail Premier League leaders Liverpool by 15 points.

As a result, their unusually high level of winter transfer activity this January is largely unsurprising.

Amongst many options, the English champions are exploring a reunion with Douglas Luiz, who left the Etihad Stadium in 2019 to join Aston Villa and subsequently Juventus.

However, Luiz’s time in Turin has not gone as planned so far, with the Brazilian struggling for both form and fitness, which has seen him lose his place in Thiago Motta’s starting XI.

The 26-year-old has started just one of I Bianconeri’s last 19 games across all competitions during which he has suffered multiple injury problems.

Juventus would ideally like a permanent sale or a loan with an obligation to buy, but City prefer a dry loan at the moment, meaning one of the clubs will need to change their stance if a deal for Luiz is to be struck.

Juve and City have reportedly been in contact of late over a move for Andrea Cambiasso, although a deal is not expected to materialise before the February 3 deadline.