Manchester United have made their opening moves to sign a former Manchester City midfielder, the Serie A player is subject to interest from other Premier League clubs, so Rúben Amorim’s side must move fast
Rúben Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 formation is very different to what has been played at Old Trafford in the past, meaning that players already at the club aren’t perfectly suited to his system in almost every position.
Two particularly difficult positions in Amorim’s formation are the double pivot midfielders that play just ahead of the back three, as they have to cover the entire pitch, which can lead to Manchester United being left exposed on the counterattack.
While some players at the club have the stamina to cover the full pitch, most notably Bruno Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte, many fans feel that another player is needed to play as a ball-winner in the middle of the park, allowing the other player to be more creative.
Casemiro would’ve been perfectly suited to this role earlier in his career, but at 33 years old, it could be difficult for him to play every game for Amorim’s side next season.
Jason Wilcox and the recruitment team have been searching for new midfielders this summer, but the majority of their attention remains on securing the deal for Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford.
While the deal is not yet completed, concrete links to other players have finally arrived for United, who need to sign players quickly as their first pre-season fixture is less than a week away.
United make opening move for Douglas Luiz
As reported by Football Insider, United have made their first moves to sign Douglas Luiz from Juventus, after he struggled for playing time in Turin last season.
While he failed to live up to his expectations in the last campaign, Luiz has proven how good he is from his time at Aston Villa, as he played a key role in securing Champions League football at Villa Park.
The former Manchester City midfielder is also subject to interest from Everton, but they only want to sign Luiz on a season-long loan, with no obligation to buy the Brazilian the following summer.
Juventus want to immediately cut their losses on Luiz and sell the midfielder while his value is still high; therefore, a loan move without an option to buy is unlikely to be accepted.
Unlike Everton, United “are willing to negotiate a loan-to-buy deal” for Luiz, putting them firmly ahead in the race for the 27-year-old’s signature this summer.
United face competition for Luiz from Premier League clubs
While Everton are behind United in the race for Luiz, several other Premier League clubs are also interested in the Brazilian midfielder.
Newly promoted Leeds United have been linked to Luiz, along with Crystal Palace, but United’s biggest rival for the midfielder could be Nottingham Forest.
Forest have recently lost both Anthony Elanga and Morgan Gibbs-White for fees of over £55 million, meaning they have money to spend this summer, even without European football.
While the Red Devils are only considering a loan-to-buy deal, Forest may be able to offer Juventus a permanent transfer this summer. This could be more appealing to the Serie A club, who want to sell Luiz quickly.
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