Juventus midfielder and player’s representatives open door to sensational Manchester City return | OneFootball

Manchester City may have been handed a significant boost in their hopes of recruiting a new defensive midfielder this month, according to new information.

It is the one position that has remained relatively quiet when it comes to Manchester City’s areas of concern during the ongoing January transfer window, with deals expected in the rearguard and attacking positions very soon.

Uzbekistan international centre-back Abdukodir Khusanov is expected to become City’s first new signing of the winter market, with the 20-year-old set to undergo a medical and pen his new contracts in the next few days.

There are also intensifying and ongoing negotiations between Eintracht Frankfurt and Manchester City over the transfer of 25-year-old Egyptian forward Omar Marmoush, who is also understood to be keen on a move to the Etihad Stadium with confidence over a deal.

And while there are similar reports linking the reigning Premier League champions with moves for 18-year-old centre-back duo Juma Bah of Real Valladolid and Vitor Reis of Palmeiras, it appears as though their search could move into defensive midfield soon.

That is according to the exclusive information of Manchester City insider ‘Tolmie’s Hairdoo’ on X, who reveals that Juventus and Brazil international midfielder Douglas Luiz, alongside his agents, are open to a return to Manchester City this month.

From the side of the Serie A giants, it is claimed that the Italian side would want a ‘decent’ loan fee and a ‘firm’ £35 million commitment to buy the player on a permanent deal during the upcoming summer market.

In another remarkable detail, the report goes one step further by suggesting that Douglas Luiz expects to play his final game for Juventus this weekend, when the Old Lady travel to face Torino in Serie A action.

Speaking over five years ago, Pep Guardiola publicly admitted his desire to make Douglas Luiz a part of his Manchester City first-team squad, shortly after the midfielder had made a permanent move to Aston Villa happen after success with Girona.

“He would be here (at Manchester City) if the work permit was possible but it wasn’t,” Guardiola said in 2019 of Douglas Luiz. “He is at Aston Villa. Sometimes it is like this. We want him, last seasons we had problems in the position. It was not possible.”

Luiz himself also openly admitted his admiration and gratitude towards the Manchester City manager, speaking one year into his Aston Villa move, “I have no words for him. He is a guy who is focused on football – his life is football.

“For me, he is the best coach in the world. In two months, the guy managed to evolve more than 70% of the my potential.”