Douglas Luiz - Confirmed confirmed

[Risso]

The current agreement means he will go back if nothing else changes and the clause is triggered. However the player may tell his agent that he wants to stay which will get the clubs involved on how they want that to work out. Do we just pay Man City the market value minus what we paid? But if he wants to go back it's a done deal. We'll have got two years out of him and Man City get a better player than the one that left.

It would be market vaue less what they owe us after the second year, widely thought to be £30m.

[Dave]

That's my point really. If he's happy here and he was concerned that he would only be a bit part player there, it's not as open and shut as is being made out.

Then he would still sign for them, as he's already agreed to. Unless, as others have said we pay to override the current contract and he wants us to do that.

I'm not sure that they'd be signing him to be a bit-part player though. Someone earlier said that Man City's M.O is to just go out sign the best young player in Europe for that position.

It's getting pretty difficult to find someone else who is that "other, better, more expensive" player. Probably Kimmich at Bayern. But beyond him?

There are plenty of promising young players, but Luiz is in that group.  Last season the defensive midfielder flavour of the month was Bruno Guimarães who Lyon bought for £20m and was really good in their Champions League run. Well, Luiz is keeping him out of the Brazil team.

It's annoying, but I fully expect him to go back there and be their first-choice defensive midfielder next season.

[OCD]

I would't be surprised if they went for Jorginho tbh.

[Dave]

I would't be surprised if they went for Jorginho tbh.

Wouldn't he be (a) more expensive, (b) considerably older and (c) not as good?

[PaulWinch again]

I think Douglas is going to be a superstar. If Pep stays they’ll want him back.

[Dante Lavelli]

Quick Poll:  In January, would you pay £20m to remove the clause if it meant we could not sign anyone else? 
Your answer must begin with YES to NO.

I’m a YES.

[paul_e]

Quick Poll:  In January, would you pay £20m to remove the clause if it meant we could not sign anyone else? 
Your answer must begin with YES to NO.

I’m a YES.

100% Yes.

[PaulWinch again]

Hell yes.

[cdbearsfan]

On the basis we rarely do much in January anyway, yes, why not?

We need to save our money for replacing (or signing) Barkley in the summer. Plus bringing in Messi.

[The Edge]

It's a yes from me. Absolutely. He's been pivotal to our great start to the season. If it's an option get it done.

[old man villa fan]

Is it actually a fact that there is a clause where Man City can buy him back for a fixed amount if they want him.  Everybody is saying that but could it be that they have first refusal at the set amount if Villa are looking to sell him.  The Man City manager was quoted as saying they have an option to bring him back but not the condition.

[Brazilian Villain]

Then he would still sign for them, as he's already agreed to. Unless, as others have said we pay to override the current contract and he wants us to do that.

It's annoying, but I fully expect him to go back there and be their first-choice defensive midfielder next season.

That's it in a nutshell.

[Dave]

Is it actually a fact that there is a clause where Man City can buy him back for a fixed amount if they want him.  Everybody is saying that but could it be that they have first refusal at the set amount if Villa are looking to sell him.  The Man City manager was quoted as saying they have an option to bring him back but not the condition.

Well, without the contract in front of you it's impossible to say it's a fact.

But given that it's not an uncommon way for a rich club to structure the transfer of a promising young player (see Carvajal from Real Madrid to Leverkusen, Deulofeu from Barcelona to Everton, Morata from Madrid to Juventus etc), every report at the time said that's how the transfer was agreed, and no report has said that it isn't - is there any reason to think that this isn't the case?

[ChicagoLion]

An option can become a condition if the option is crystallised.
I can not see how city would have created an option to purchase that is inoperable.

[Sexual Ealing]

Pep signing a new contract according to Daily Heil Twitter. Not good news if true.