Manchester United have been looking to offload Antony in the ongoing summer transfer window, given how the Brazilian wide forward has largely underperformed since moving to Old Trafford in a mammoth £85 million transfer, all whilst offering just a limited sense of goal threat complemented by predictable dribbling patterns and defensive work rated without any creative upside.
But the Premier League heavyweights were mulling over what to do with the former Ajax winger given how he found his flow at Real Betis, where he played on loan in the previous campaign, and all of that could be seen in those infamous words that he gave where the 25-year-old claimed he rediscovered his spark while featuring in the Spanish top tier after having fallen out of love with football at Old Trafford.
And while all of that was going on, Serie A giants Juventus came in and proposed a potential swap deal that would take Antony to Turin while bringing former Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz to Old Trafford as part of a summer reshuffling of their rosters (h/t GiveMeSport). To me, if I am thinking about this transfer on paper, this looks like a reset opportunity for two players that have been struggling with their current employers despite their very high potential, but then if I am thinking tactically and in terms of long-term impact, how does this fare for Manchester United?
Will Antony leave Manchester United?
But to think about that, we would have to start reviewing Douglas Luiz and the potential that he possesses to succeed under Ruben Amorim. But let’s start with the basics…
A brief of Douglas Luiz and his attributes
We saw the 26-year-old former Manchester City midfielder succeed with Villa on a consistent basis in the Premier League, where he used to line up in more of a sequence-based role in the midfield. He used to feature as a box-to-box midfielder (8), but you can also play him in a long #6 as well as in a double pivot.
And he did show that ability to keep hold of the ball under pressure, complemented by some excellent passing over short/medium range. We saw how he can dictate rhythms.
And help with transitions whilst having that positional discipline in compact systems.
See, the thing is that he is quite a talented midfielder that has a high capacity but has found it difficult to adapt to the playing style at Juventus.
How can Douglas Luiz fit under Ruben Amorim?
Douglas Luiz is keen to leave Juventus this summer amid Man United interest
Douglas Luiz is keen to leave Juventus this summer amid Man United swap proposal.
We have seen the Portuguese head coach play in a 3-4-2-1 or 3-4-3 setup where the base midfielder has a sense of responsibility to support the rest of the defence (2 or 3 at the back in possession). And then connecting defences with two attacking midfielders (typically Bruno & another).
The base mids also have to offer a sense of defensive security in wide zones and do all this whilst making vertical progression through short combinations or switches.
And when we talk about Douglas Luiz in Ruben Amorim’s midfield, he can play as a double pivot partner alongside maybe Kobbie Mainoo or Manuel Ugarte while bringing in a greater sense of balance to hand a progressive and destructive profile. And he is also quite comfortable defending in a 2v2 midfield setup, which ends up adding a layer of composure to United’s defensive phase.
Luiz is a passing midfielder, and that means he can add a lot to the first-phase buildup at Old Trafford, given that it is something that the Premier League giants are sorely lacking at the moment. He is also someone that has the capacity to drift into half-spaces or support wingbacks when needed, which is quite ideal in Amorim’s transitions.
And Amorim doesn’t need Antony…
While for Antony, he didn’t have any league goals for United last season, and he has struggled with the decision-making, which is in line with the pace of the Premier League, and the Brazilian also doesn’t quite fit into the system that Amorim is deploying at United. The Portuguese doesn’t need solo dribblers who want to isolate; he rather needs players that combine and link up the play.
Strengths if United accept a swap deal?
Manchester United will have a base midfielder with exceptional potential who has proven his credentials in the English top tier. And a swap deal means it saves some transfer kitty to bring in a defender and a striker.
Limitations of accepting a swap?
It locks up a massive financial loss that the club will suffer in Antony transfer. And moreover, if this deal were to flop, Luiz would have absolutely no resale value as well, handing United another possible financial loss.
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Author Opinion
If United agree to the swap deal, then it ends up cutting the deadwood in the current squad while it also brings in a midfield profile that fits into the system that Amorim has deployed at Old Trafford. And moreover, it frees up the budget for the Premier League heavyweights to go big on more marquee arrivals (I am thinking maybe a centre-back or striker).