Manchester City eyeing move for former player Pep Guardiola was 'sad and disappointed' to let go: report

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 15: Josep 'Pep' Guardiola, manager of Manchester City, looks on during the Premier League match between Manchester City FC and Manchester United FC at Etihad Stadium on December 15, 2024 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey - Danehouse/Getty Images)
Man City manager Pep Guardiola (Image credit: Getty Images)

Manchester City are looking to turn their fortunes around in the second half of the season with some much-needed signings, and Pep Guardiola has his eye on a former player.

The last few months have seen Manchester City slip down the Premier League table, with the champions now sat in sixth place and 14 points behind leaders Liverpool.

They're still in the Champions League and FA Cup, though, with the Manchester City hierarchy still targeting silverware come the end of the season. Bringing in someone who knows the club well, therefore, could help improve things on the pitch.

Manchester City eyeing move for Douglas Luiz

Douglas Luiz moved to Juventus from Aston Villa in the summer and is wanted by Manchester City

Luiz in action for Juventus (Image credit: Getty Images)

According to Birmingham Live, Manchester City are looking to bring Juventus midfielder Douglas Luiz back to the Premier League on a loan deal, six years after he was sold to Aston Villa.

Despite spending two years at Manchester City, Luiz failed to make a single appearance under Pep Guardiola after failing to obtain a work permit from the FA. This left the Catalan manager "sad and disappointed" that he couldn't use the Brazilian, with loans to Girona used instead.

Douglas Luiz in action for Manchester City back in 2020 during pre-season

Luiz playing for Manchester City in 2018 (Image credit: Getty Images)

Now, Manchester City are interested in re-signing the 26-year-old, eight years after initially signing him from Vasco de Gama in Brazil. Rodri's injury has left them with limited options in the centre of midfield, and Luiz could prove the perfect player to slot in there.

Luiz joined Juventus last summer but has struggled for minutes in Turin, with the Brazilian having been limited to just two starts in all competitions. He performed extremely well for Aston Villa prior to his Serie A switch, though, helping Unai Emery's side into the Champions Leauge and flourishing in the midfield.

La Gazzetta dello Sport reported that Juventus are willing to part company with Luiz if they receive a suitable offer this month, too, boosting Manchester City's chances in bringing him back to the Etihad Stadium.

In FourFourTwo's view, a loan deal for Douglas Luiz would represent great business for Manchester City, and certainly seems a possibility. The move works well for all parties involved, plus has the added benefit of Guardiola and Luiz knowing each other well from their time together previously.

Ryan Dabbs
Staff writer

Ryan is a staff writer for FourFourTwo, joining the team full-time in October 2022. He first joined Future in December 2020, working across FourFourTwo, Golf Monthly, Rugby World and Advnture's websites, before eventually earning himself a position with FourFourTwo permanently. After graduating from Cardiff University with a degree in Journalism and Communications, Ryan earned a NCTJ qualification to further develop as a writer while a Trainee News Writer at Future.