Out-of-favour Juventus midfielder Douglas Luiz dreams of returning to the Premier League by joining Manchester United this summer.
According to a report by Italian outlet Tuttosport, Douglas Luiz is working to secure a move to his next club, with Juventus ready to cash in on him in the ongoing transfer window. The 28-year-old has no future at the Serie A club, and his dream of representing Manchester United has emerged.
Per Tuttosport, Juventus and Manchester United may engage in discussions over a swap deal in the coming weeks. The Serie A giants are keen on signing Joshua Zirkzee, and they may offer Luiz in an exchange arrangement to reduce the Premier League club’s asking price to sell the Dutch attacker.
Douglas Luiz and his Italian troubles
Douglas Luiz has hit a brick wall since joining Juventus from Aston Villa in July 2024. The 28-year-old was among the best players in the Premier League at Villa, but he has failed to replicate that form in Italy. The Brazilian international has not even managed 1,000 minutes of game time across 27 outings thus far for Juventus.
The 2025/26 season was also frustrating, as loan spells with Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa yielded sporadic appearances (only 1,591 minutes of game time across the two spells). However, Luiz’s stock remains high, with several well-known clubs vying for his signature.
What next?
Recent reports have linked Douglas Luiz with Everton and other Premier League clubs. The Toffees mulled over signing him last summer, but a deal did not materialise. The continued interest makes sense, as they need a long-term replacement for Idrissa Gueye, who has departed from the Hill Dickinson Stadium as a free agent.
As for the Manchester United links, the Red Devils have not shown pursued Luiz this summer, though they were reportedly interested last year. The Premier League giants need a third midfielder to complete their midfield revamp, and they need a holding midfielder who can hold the fort in the middle of the park.
While Luiz fits the bill as a quintessential defensive midfielder who also contributes with long-range efforts and set-piece involvement, Manchester United are not officially interested yet. However, it is unclear if Juventus’s mooted ploy of engineering a swap deal involving the Brazilian and Zirkzee will tempt them.