Manchester City have reportedly been offered the opportunity to re-sign Juventus midfielder Douglas Luiz.
The Brazil international was allowed to leave Aston Villa for Turin in the summer with the Premier League outfit desperately needing to raise funds to comply with the division's Profit and Sustainability regulations.
However, the 26-year-old has failed to make the desired impact under Thiago Motta, being restricted to just 354 minutes in all competitions.
With those minutes being spread across 13 appearances, it is seemingly clear where he features in the pecking order, leaving Juventus with a decision to make.
According to the Daily Mail, the Italian giants are willing to allow Luiz to return to the Premier League before the end of the month.
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Man City in the running?
The report suggests that former club Man City are one of three clubs - the other two unnamed - that have been offered the opportunity to acquire his services.
While Luiz was contracted to City between 2017 and 2019, he spent two campaigns on loan at Girona before completing a big-money move to Villa Park.
Rodri is likely absent for the remainder of the season, leaving Pep Guardiola to add competition for his engine room where the likes of Mateo Kovacic and Ilkay Gundogan have performed inconsistently.
With Juventus having paid in the region of €50m (£41.4m) for Luiz, they are clearly not receiving value for money and are open to recouping funds in the short term.
Luiz will allegedly be allowed to depart should any admirers agree to include an obligation to buy in any proposal, Juventus seemingly in a position where they need to generate money to fund a move for a new striker.
At a time when Dusan Vlahovic has just 18 months remaining on his contract, club officials need to decide whether they intend to replace the Serbia international or risk selling him for a lower price in the summer.
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Zirkzee factor to prove key?
Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee has been frequently linked with a transfer to Juventus on the back of his poor start to life at Old Trafford.
There are conflicting reports as to whether the Netherlands international would look to cut short his stint in England for a return to Serie A, where he has previously worked under Motta at Bologna.
Nevertheless, Juventus would need to pay United a substantial loan fee at the very least if they were to have a realistic chance of agreeing terms.
Despite being unbeaten in 18 Serie A fixtures this campaign, Juventus have posted 11 draws and sit 12 points adrift of leaders Napoli in the table.
Darren Plant
