Juventus refused to sell Douglas Costa to Manchester United in the summer transfer window, according to the Brazilian’s agent Giovanni Branchini.
In an interview with Daily Mail, Giovanni Branchini has claimed that Manchester United were interested in signing Douglas Costa in the summer transfer window, but were denied the Brazilian’s acquisition by Juventus, with Maurizio Sarri intent on keeping hold of him.
Douglas Costa permanently joined Juventus in the summer of 2018 after impressing on-loan in the 2017-18 season. But, his first campaign after joining the Bianconeri for good did not go as envisioned, with injuries taking a toll on his game time and restricting him to a mere 10 starts all season.
Costa though, has started the current season on a strong note, having provided two assists in as many Serie A appearances. But, if his agent Giovanni Branchini is to be believed, the 28-year-old could have been on his way to Manchester United this past summer, only for Juventus to refuse to entertain any offers for him.
“I sincerely say that Allegri and Sarri have never thought of letting him go. The interest of Manchester United was strong, a club that has always been interested in the Brazilian.It was not the only club but in England it was certainly the most active team on the trail of Douglas Costa.”
“Douglas has had countless health problems. Last season he was very often injured. He is wanting to recover with great professionalism after standing still. Juventus never intended to sell him despite the big pressure from United.”
The right side of the attack has been a major problem area for Manchester United in recent years, with no player able to make a sustained impact on the right flank. Daniel James, who was United’s only attacking acquisition this summer, has started his maiden campaign at Old Trafford extremely well.
But, the Welshman favours playing from the left and has looked rather ineffective when deployed on the right. As a result, signing Costa could have been a positive move to make for Manchester United, if they were not denied by Juventus and Sarri.
It looks as if Sarri does rate Costa quite highly, with the player starting both the competitive games that Juventus have played so far this season. Meanwhile, the Brazilian has claimed, as quoted by Football Italia, that Branchini’s claims are baseless, and it looks as if Manchester United never really stood a chance to sign him this past summer.
