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Topics: Manchester City, Pep Guardiola, Rodri, Aston Villa, Juventus, Transfer News
Luke Davies
Topics: Manchester City, Pep Guardiola, Rodri, Aston Villa, Juventus, Transfer News
Manchester City are reportedly 'considering' a loan move for a highly-rated midfielder just six months into his stint at his new club.
City have been in poor form in recent months, having won just twice in their last 14 games in all competitions.
Pep Guardiola’s side currently sit sixth in the Premier League after 19 games and look unlikely to win a fifth straight Premier League title as they trail league leaders Liverpool by 14 points – with the Reds having played a game less.
A huge factor in the poor run of form has been the absence of Ballon d’Or winner Rodri, 28. The Spanish midfielder sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury during the 2-2 draw against Arsenal back in September and has not featured since.
Since then, Mateo Kovacic, Rico Lewis, and Matheus Nunes have all filled in, but filling the boots of one of the best in his position is no mean feat.
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However, the January transfer window provides an opportunity for Guardiola, 53, to reconsider his options and potentially bring in some fresh faces. The likes of Martin Zubimendi and Bruno Guimarães have been linked with a move to City, but there is another midfielder who is reportedly the subject of interest from the Premier League champions.
As reported by Birmingham Live, City are “considering a loan move” for former Aston Villa man Douglas Luiz.
Luis, 26, joined Juventus in June for £42.35m, according to BBC Sport. But so far, he has failed to make a positive impact on Thiago Motta’s side, having made just nine Serie A appearances while providing zero goal contributions.
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The player penned a five-year deal with the Turin-based side as his girlfriend Alisha Lehmann also made the switch to Italy in a ‘couples transfer’.
In November, Italian outlet Gazzetta reported that Juve were ‘open’ to letting Luiz leave the club in January if they received serious offers.
A move to City would arguably make sense for both parties. The Premier League side would get a short-term replacement in Rodri’s absence while the player could return to his previous form in a league he is familiar with. While Juve would likely be able to half their wage contributions but this is unclear.