Juventus ready to offer midfielder as part of swap deal to sign Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund: Reports
Juventus are eager to sign Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund. According to a report in Mirror, the Italian club are ready to offer midfielder Douglas Luiz as part of a possible swap deal.
With reports in the Italian media saying Dusan Vlahovic could leave Juventus, the side will require a replacement. The club that have admired Hojlund ever since his Atalanta days would gain £34m from Vlahovic's sale.
On the other hand, Douglas Luiz has been unable to make a mark ever since his £42m move from Aston Villa less than a year ago. The midfielder, who was previously a talking point in many deadline-day transfers, with interest emerging from Arsenal, is now looked upon as a trump card for any negotiation taking place.
He clocked only 812 minutes across 24 appearances at Juventus this season. While he missed a few games due to injuries, Igor Tudor's arrival in March saw him get only 17 minutes in the Serie A.
Manchester United, meanwhile, are moving towards a proper revamp. They are expected to sign Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers to bolster their attacking third. They have also been linked with strikers like Liam Delap and Victor Osimhen.
In case the aforementioned deals see daylight, Hojlund's place in the starting lineup will be doubtful. The club had signed him in 2023 as a part of Erik ten Hag's project for £72m. Although he was decent in his inaugural season, scoring 16 goals across 43 appearances, the ongoing campaign has seen a dip in his form.
Hojlund has scored only four goals in 29 Premier League games. However, in the UEFA Europa League, he has spearheaded Manchester United's attack with five goals and three assists in 13 outings.
Manchester United need to bolster their attack
Manchester United have faced goal-scoring problems in the ongoing season. Joshua Zirkzee hasn't scored many, netting only thrice in the Premier League. Hojliund's performance and poaching abilities have also raised eyebrows.
At such a juncture, swapping the Danish forward for a central midfielder does not sound like a great idea for the Red Devils. Douglas Luiz registered 46 goal contributions (22 goals and 24 assists) in 204 games for Aston Villa (2019-24). However, his tenure at Juventus hasn't seen him contribute a single goal in 24 appearances.
United have a stalwart like Bruno Fernandes, who will continue as the No. 10 in Ruben Amorim's 3-4-2-1 formation. Fitting Luiz in the lineup seems a challenge. The Old Trafford-based outfit already have players like Kobbie Mainoo and Manuel Ugarte to function in a similar role.
Thus, what Amorim needs now is a prolific goal-getter to strengthen his team's title ambitions for the upcoming season.
