Manchester United had begun the summer window in lightning-quick fashion with the £62.5m signing of Wolverhampton Wanderers star, Matheus Cunha, although with the start of pre-season looming, it’s all gone a little too quiet at Old Trafford.
Indeed, it was over a month ago that The Athletic’s David Ornstein broke the news that Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo has his heart set on joining the Red Devils, albeit with a fee having since yet to be agreed upon by the two clubs.
Contact has also reportedly been made with Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins, amid the parallel search for a striker, although few clear targets have emerged elsewhere, with Ruben Amorim still in need of reinforcements all across the park.
In midfield, in particular, United appear in real need of a suitable, long-term partner to talismanic skipper, Bruno Fernandes, with Casemiro entering the final year of his contract at the club, while 2024 arrival, Manuel Ugarte, appears to have already tumbled down the pecking order after failing to even make the field in May’s Europa League final defeat.
The forward line appears to be the priority for a side that scored just 41 Premier League goals last season, although the centre of the park can’t be overlooked. Thankfully, a suitable option may well be on the table for Amorim and co.
Man Utd's search for a midfielder
As stated above, there have been few concrete names mentioned regarding United’s midfield targets, with The Athletic’s Laurie Whitwell stating in recent weeks that Amorim is simply craving an ‘athletic’ number eight.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
That had sparked links to Club Brugge’s Swiss starlet, Ardon Jashari, albeit with the playmaker instead looking set to join Serie A side AC Milan, having already agreed personal terms with the Italian outfit.
Ironically, it is Serie A where United could look to acquire a much-needed midfield solution, with Correire dello Sport reporting that they have been offered the chance to prise Douglas Luiz from Juventus this summer.
The Brazilian’s name appears to have come up in conversations amid the prospect of Jadon Sancho heading in the opposite direction, with the idea of an exchange having been floated.
The 27-year-old only left Aston Villa last year on a £42m deal, although amid a miserable debut campaign in Turin, a swift return to the Premier League could be on the cards.
With Cunha in the door and Mbeumo potentially in line to follow, Luiz could be yet another addition who has already proven himself in English football.
Why Man Utd need to sign Douglas Luiz
There’s no getting away from what has been a dismal first 12 months in Italy for the one-time Manchester City man, with Luiz having made just 27 appearances in all competitions, only six of which came from the start.
Once the subject of multiple bids from Arsenal back in 2022, the 18-cap international has seen his stock plummet over at the Allianz Stadium, with a swift exit surely needed.
While those woes may have alarm bells ringing, the chance to sign Luiz on the cheap – or in exchange for the exiled Sancho – should be too good to ignore, not least with the ex-Villa man having been valued at £100m not too long ago.
A player with 175 Premier League appearances under his belt, registering 38 goals and assists in that time, he earned rave reviews during his time at Villa Park, with talkSPORT pundit Jermaine Pennant even going as far as to suggest that he is even “better” than Gunners hero, Declan Rice:
“I would say Douglas Luiz of Aston Villa, I think he can do everything that Rice can do and better. I think he assists more, he chips in with goals more than Rice. “Creativity wise he’s better, flair is better, he can put in a tackle just like Rice, break up play just like Rice.
“So I think if someone said to me you can have Douglas Luiz for £60m or Declan Rice for £100m, easy every day of the week, Douglas Luiz.”
Such praise was also backed up by United legend, Roy Keane, with the Irishman describing Luiz as a “quality” player, while stating that he is someone who “turns up every week”.
Games (starts)
35 (35)
38 (37)
Goals
9
7
Assists
5
8
Big chances created
10
9
Key passes*
1.5
1.2
Pass accuracy*
89%
91%
Tackles & interceptions*
2.4
3.4
Balls recovered*
5.3
4.7
Total duels won*
51%
52%
Successful dribbles*
0.7
0.6
As evidenced in the table above, during his final campaign in England, the £138k-per-week star certainly matches up well in relation to Rice, with the pair deemed to be statistically similar players during that 2023/24 season, as per FBref.
Having that all-action figure in one of the two midfield berths should then prove a dream scenario for the aforementioned Fernandes, with the Portuguese genius in need of a reliable partner alongside him.
Well, Luiz appears to tick all the boxes – as his 2023/24 statistics illustrate – as he would be able to shoulder the creative burden, while also representing a figure who can do the dirty work, as evidenced by his balls recovered average, alongside his tackles and interceptions average.
With an eye for goal – and usually a spectacular one at that – the Juve outcast appears to have all the tools in his locker, with United needing to pounce on this potential opportunity to land a real standout talent on the cheap.
AI predicts how many goals Watkins, Gyokeres & Osimhen would score for Man Utd
Man Utd are in desperate need of a new centre-forward, but just who should they prioritise?
ByRobbie WallsJul 4, 2025
