The second half of the season will be huge for Manchester City. They are a long way behind Liverpool in the title race, who will go 15 points clear of the reigning champions should they win their game in hand, the final Merseyside Derby at Goodison Park.
So, everything rests on the Champions League and FA Cup if City want to win a major trophy this season. They reached the Champions League playoffs by the skin of their teeth, with a 3-1 win over Club Brugge on Wednesday ensuring their qualification. However, they will surely be one of the favourites if their form can pick up.
To help Pep Guardiola’s side achieve their goals this season, they may dip into the transfer market for a fourth time this winter, and this time are thought to be targeting a new midfielder.
Man City's search for a midfielder
The player in question here is Juventus and Brazil international Douglas Luiz. Things have not really worked out for the 26-year-old midfielder so far in Turin, and he has constantly been linked with a move away from the Etihad Stadium this winter.
According to a report by Italian newspaper Tuttosport, the Citizens are believed to have made a new offer for the Brazilian on a loan deal. They are then proposing an option of buying the former Aston Villa star for £29m.
However, they are not the only side in the Premier League who are reportedly chasing a move for the midfielder. A few days ago, the Mail noted City’s cross-city rivals Manchester United are interested, as are high-flying Nottingham Forest and Londoners Fulham.
Why Douglas Luiz would be a good signing
It has certainly not been the start to life in Turin that Luiz may have expected when he made the move from Villa Park to the Allianz Stadium last summer. He joined for a fee of £42.35m but has never really been in favour under Thiago Motta.
The Brazilian has played just 19 times in all competitions. Although he had muscle fatigue which meant he missed a large portion of football, he has featured for just 656 minutes so far during his time as a Juve player.
Interestingly, Luiz does have ties to City already. The 26-year-old was on the club’s payroll between 2017 and 2019 but ended up at Villa after loans to Girona. However, had it not been for work permit issues, he could have played for the club, with Guardiola explaining “the quality was there and is there”.
At Villa, the Brazilian was described as a “world-class” player by football journalist Quentin Gesp. In 204 games, he scored 22 goals and grabbed 24 assists from midfield, and even managed to score from a corner once, against Arsenal in 2022/23.
Should the Citizens get this deal done, he could be the perfect replacement for Ilkay Gundogan. The German has struggled since his free transfer back to the Etihad Stadium in the summer, after one season away at Barcelona.
Most recently against Brugge, he was substituted at half-time with City 1-0 down. The former City captain received a 6/10 rating from Simon Bajkowski, chief Manchester City writer for the Manchester Evening News.
Indeed, the stats on FBref suggest that, in many areas, Luiz could be a perfect replacement for Gundogan. Taking into consideration top-flight football from the last two and a half seasons, the Brazilian is slightly behind, or better than the City star in several key metrics.
There is not much difference in their quality on the ball, with the Juve man averaging 0.93 passes into the penalty area, only slightly fewer than the German’s 1.32 each game. However, where Luiz really excels is defensively. For example, he averages 2.92 tackles and interceptions compared to Gundogan’s 1.78 per 90 minutes.
Stat (per 90)
Luiz
Gundogan
Goals and assists
0.37
0.36
Passes into penalty area
0.93
1.32
Take-on success rate
56.3%
50%
Ball recoveries
5.72
5.63
Tackles and interceptions
2.29
1.78
If City bring Luiz in on a loan deal with the option to buy him permanently, it seems a safe option for Guardiola’s side. Not only would they be upgrading their midfield, given how much he excels over Gundogan, but he is also of a great age profile.
Even though they have already done plenty of business this winter, this could be one of the best signings City have made.
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