Man Utd offered Juve's Douglas Luiz in straight swap for struggling striker

Manchester United have been handed the opportunity to sign Brazilian midfielder Douglas Luiz from Juventus in a sensational swap deal, according to reports in Italy.

Ruben Amorim’s side made a late attempt to sign Luiz on deadline day in the winter transfer window, but their approach fell through.

The 25-year-old has been linked with a Premier League return, with Arsenal and Liverpool also interested in securing his services.

Although a move to Old Trafford didn’t materialize last summer, reports from Tuttosport suggest that Juventus are now willing to offer Luiz to United—but there’s a catch. The Italian giants want Joshua Zirkzee in return as part of a high-profile swap deal.

Juventus only signed Luiz from Aston Villa in June for €50m (£42.35m), but they are reportedly open to parting ways with him if United agree to send Zirkzee the other way.

The Serie A club’s interest in Zirkzee is long-standing, with their admiration for the Dutch striker only increasing as European clubs begin to finalize their summer transfer plans.

Zirkzee, a £36.5m signing from Bologna last July, was recruited under Erik ten Hag but has struggled to make an impact at Old Trafford.

The 23-year-old has managed just five goals and two assists in 36 appearances, failing to live up to expectations. However, he did find the net in United’s FA Cup fourth-round victory over Leicester City last Friday.

Speculation over Zirkzee’s discontent at United surfaced in January, with some outlets claiming he was frustrated and considering a move away.

However, Florian Plettenberg, a respected transfer expert, dismissed these rumors, insisting the striker remains committed to proving himself at Old Trafford.

Despite this, criticism of Zirkzee has been relentless, with former Premier League midfielder Jamie O’Hara offering a brutal assessment of his performances.

"Joshua Zirkzee is one of the worst players I’ve ever seen in a Manchester United shirt," O’Hara told Grosvenor Sport last month."It’s unbelievable that he’s playing for them. He’s an absolute imposter!"

Interestingly, Douglas Luiz could have been a key part of Manchester City’s midfield today had work permit complications not forced him out of the club.

City signed him in 2017 but failed to secure a permit, forcing him to spend two seasons on loan at Girona before eventually being sold to Aston Villa.

Speaking in 2019, Pep Guardiola expressed regret over missing out on Luiz: "He would be here if the work permit had been possible," Guardiola explained.

"The work permit was not possible, so loan, loan, and [then] he’s at Aston Villa. Sometimes life is like this. We wanted him because we had a problem in that position."

While Guardiola saw Luiz’s potential, the Brazilian never got his chance at the Etihad. Now, he could find himself at Old Trafford—but only if United are willing to part ways with Zirkzee.

With Juventus keen to push forward with the deal, the ball is now in United’s court. Will they cut their losses on Zirkzee and bring in Luiz, or will they look elsewhere to strengthen their midfield?