Douglas Luiz has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester United amid reports that Juventus are trying to find ways to strike a deal for Jadon Sancho.
Ruben Amorim has a lot of problems he will want to address at Manchester United this summer. It would be an impossible task to fix everything in one summer, and the Portuguese coach needs to find a way to win football matches after a disastrous first six months in the job.
United lost the Europa League final and finished 15th in the Premier League, which meant the Red Devils will be without Champions League football for a second consecutive season. There will be fewer midweek games to allow Amorim and his staff to spend more time with the players at Carrington training ground.
Matheus Cunha has arrived from Wolves after scoring 17 Premier League goals last season. Since then, attempts have been made to sign Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford.
It remains to be seen if United will sign a striker, goalkeeper, midfielder or defender.
Douglas Luiz celebrates scoring for Aston Villa vs Manchester United.
Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images
Douglas Luiz led Aston Villa to Champions League qualification
Luiz could return to the Premier League this summer.
The Brazilian midfielder left Villa a year ago for £42 million, joining Serie A giants Juventus to help Unai Emery’s club keep within the PSR parameters.
Luiz was Aston Villa’s top-rated midfielder in 2023/24 as shown by his stats that season.
More United News
Statman Dave has provided a collection of stats from that season that show Luiz was Villa’s best midfielder for a number of seasons.
Douglas Luiz amongst Aston Villa midfielders in 2023/2024:
2351 touches 🥇
184 ball recoveries 🥇
137 passes into the final third 🥇
117 shot-creating actions 🥇
82 tackles + interceptions 🥇
53 chances created 🥇
48 carries into the final third 🥇
38 tackles won 🥇
Played… pic.twitter.com/8nlv3viGYo
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) July 4, 2025
View Tweet
Luiz had more touches, ball recoveries, passes into the final third and shot-creating actions than any other midfielder at the club. He also made more tackles, interceptions, and ball carries than the other Villa midfielders.
Villa were unable to repeat their top four finish last season, so they clearly missed Luiz in the middle of the pitch. Emery’s men finished sixth behind Chelsea and Newcastle.
However, things haven’t worked out for Luiz in Italy. He made only three league starts in his first season in Italy, and didn’t contribute a single goal or assist over the course of the campaign.
Juventus have reportedly offered Luiz as part of a potential exchange deal for Sancho.
Luiz’s stats suggest he would be an improvement on Christian Eriksen, who leaves Old Trafford as his contract expired. He would also give Amorim a different option other than Manuel Ugarte, Casemiro and Kobbie Mainoo.
Aston Villa would take Luiz back
Luiz has four years left on his contract at Juventus but there is a chance he could leave Turin on loan rather than permanently this season. There is little to suggest that the Serie A giants have completely given up on the midfielder.
Villa’s president of football operations Monchi, previously stated he’d be open to welcoming the player back to the club.
“He’s a playmaker. Every ball that comes out of his feet makes sense. After his farewell we invested well, but I would always take Douglas back, for any club. He’s very strong,” Monchi told La Gazzetta dello Sport in November of last year, as quoted by the Birmingham Mail.
“He’s playing less than we would have expected, but we’re talking about a very strong player. Some players make their mark straight away, others need time. You need patience, but Douglas’ qualities are beyond discussion. Last year he played 90 per cent of our games and was decisive.”
While Luiz is being linked with a return to the Premier League, it could be for United rather than Villa. His stats suggest he’d fit well into Amorim’s system at Old Trafford.