The blockbuster Man United and Juventus swap transfer deal that would turbocharge both sides

It doesn’t take an expert to appreciate that Manchester United’s squad needs a major overhaul this summer – and several players are set to depart Old Trafford not long after they signed for eye-watering sums. Among them is striker Rasmus Højlund.

Despite a promising blast of form not long after United signed Højlund from Atalanta in the summer of 2023 for a free rising to £72m, the young Dane has not lived up to his potential or his price tag. Having scored just four Premier League goals all season, he may well be moved on at the end of the current campaign.

The problem for United is that most of the interest in Højlund comes from Serie A, where he showed so many signs of developing into a dangerous striker during his time in Bergamo – and even the biggest Serie A sides tend not to be the biggest spenders right now. United were never going to get their money back in full, but sides linked with the forward, such as Juventus and Napoli, won’t pay top dollar. Fortunately, a solution could be presenting itself…

The swap deal that could solve Manchester United’s Rasmus Højlund problem

A new story from TeamTalk, drawing in part from a report by Italian outlet Tuttosport, suggests that United could be set to engineer a part-exchange deal with Juventus which would see midfielder Douglas Luiz head the other way.

Apparently, the Old Lady are just as “determined” to sign Højlund as they are disappointed by the Brazilian midfielder, who has failed to replicate the turbo-charged performances which propelled Aston Villa into the Champions League last season.

For United, meanwhile, such a deal could solve two problems at once. Not only do they move on a striker whose performances have been underwhelming and whose lack of killer instinct in the penalty area has proved costly, but they also get the kind of midfielder who can cover the vast swathes of space which Ruben Amorim’s two-man midfield system demands.

The finances involved aren’t discussed in the report and would likely be complicated, but as Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest demonstrated with their big-money ‘swap’ of Elliot Anderson and Odysseas Vlachodimos last summer, such deals can also have big profit and sustainability benefits.

Given that United have widely-reported cash flow problems and may struggle to spend big without selling this summer, a deal of that nature could be precisely what they need to make big changes while keeping the balance sheets friendly.

And if you overlook the likely financial loss it will result in, it’s hard to argue that losing Højlund will be such a great blow. Perhaps the 22-year-old will find the consistency and finishing touch that is presently lacking from his game one day, but there is only so much patience that United can afford to extend him. They would be trading a player who might be good one day for another who is proven in the Premier League, and probably massaging the figures into the bargain.

Is Douglas Luiz the midfielder that Manchester United need?

The big question such a deal would pose is whether the Luiz that United were signing is the player that ran Aston Villa’s midfield last season – or the underwhelming edition that has already fallen out of favour at the Allianz Stadium.

Luiz has gone from notching up 14 goal contributions in a league season to zero. Luiz’s impact in Turin has been minimal, and he has been a shadow of the dynamic, direct player who affected all three thirds of the pitch as a box-to-box midfielder under Unai Emery.

A failure to adapt to Juventus’ methods, club culture and tactics has been loosely blamed in the Italian media, and while football history is littered with players who were simply not suited to a specific side but flourished everywhere else, it may be a cause for concern that the tactics used by Thiago Motta and his successor Igor Tudor are not dissimilar to those employed by Amorim at Old Trafford.

Luiz has ultimately struggled to adapt from a three-man midfield system to a two-man set-up, and while there are many differences, it’s a similarity which may not bode well for Luiz’s chances of succeeding where players like Kobbie Mainoo have failed.

Amorim’s tactics require the midfielders to cover enormous areas of ground effectively, and it’s not an easy task. Mainoo, much better in tighter areas, has failed to adapt, and it’s possible Luiz would have the same problem.

That said, at Villa, Luiz was able to get from one end of the pitch to the other with ease and no little energy, forcing turnovers at will and generating and scoring chances. The fall-off in his output at both ends of the pitch at Juventus has been stark – not only has he failed to score or set up a goal, but he has gone from forcing 5.3 turnovers per 90 minutes to 1.7. It’s a steep decline in output that demands explanation.

If that’s because he hasn’t been able to function as well in a two-man system when he has less support, United would be well advised to think twice about moving for Luiz. If it’s simply because sometimes players don’t click in a new country, with new coaches and new language to learn, then it makes every ounce of sense to bring Luiz to Old Trafford. The player we saw last season would undeniably improve United’s side.

Which explains why a few sides have been linked. Both Nottingham Forest and Newcastle are said to be monitoring Luiz’s situation, and Villa could make a bid to bring their former favourite back home at a discount. United are unlikely to have a clear path to Luiz if they do decide to make a move.

Some due diligence will need to be done, then, but if this deal really on the cards then it may be a shrewd move – and may finally help United to take a step closer to a coherent squad that suits the manager’s methods.