Douglas Luiz - Confirmed confirmed

[OCD]

Fernandinho is off, so I wouldn't be stunned if they opted for Luiz and a more established player (odd to think of a current Brazilian international as not established enough but there you go) for the role.

Getting Fernandinho for a year or two wouldn't be the worst move in that case.

[frank black]

I think the bigger concern would be that Man City activate their clause and turn around and sell him at a profit.

Spot on, it’s not about what Man city value him at, it’s others. Man city can simply buy him back and sell him on trousering the profit. Obviously it would need Doug to agree first, but they’ve done this sort of deal before (can’t remember the player). I’m not sure if they want him back, but if someone wants him, they will be asking City before us. Any talk of bigs fees is City’s to have not us yet, as I’m pretty sure we can’t sell until said clause has lapsed.

[CT Villan]

I think Smith is partly to blame for Dougie's inconsistency...The role he is asked to play is neither Pirlo nor Gattuso, but some weird mash-up of the two and he clearly is not a DM. He could develop into a deep-lying playmaker but is not there yet and would need a top DM next to him to facilitate success. By trying to force him to be both, we end up getting neither.

Keep or sell depends largely on how Deano plans on using him.

[SoccerHQ]

Fernandinho is off, so I wouldn't be stunned if they opted for Luiz and a more established player (odd to think of a current Brazilian international as not established enough but there you go) for the role.

Getting Fernandinho for a year or two wouldn't be the worst move in that case.

Man. City actually have this guy back from two year loan at Granada....likes of Southampton and West Ham been linked with him.

https://www.goal.com/en/news/man-city-loan-herrera-granada-midfielder/esme1o0jx5931rsspn53xo9v5

Wouldn't shock me if they really want Luiz back if they sort of offer him to us for lower fee as sort of compensation. He's more of a DM aswell.

[Drummond]

If Man City try to boy him back and sell him, he has to agree to the sale to wherever they want to sell him to. Otherwise they run the risk of having to keep him and pay him and not use him.

[SoccerHQ]

Depends who's whispering in Man. City's ear dosen't it?

The Super league rabble seem to help each other out plenty when it comes to creative ways around FFP so could have a PSG saying yeah we'll sign him for 40m if you get him back from Villa.

This was an odd deal last summer:

https://www.espn.co.uk/football/spanish-primera-division/story/4122091/barcelona-swapping-arthur-for-pjanic-was-a-business-move-but-for-all-the-wrong-reasons

Basically did it to help Barcelona get around FFP as both have hardly started much for their clubs.

[danno]

Could it be paper talk to encourage us to buyout the clause?  Although if that was the case I’d have expected it last summer.

[frank black]

If Man City try to boy him back and sell him, he has to agree to the sale to wherever they want to sell him to. Otherwise they run the risk of having to keep him and pay him and not use him.

I would expect that they would chat to Dougs agents and perhaps even tout him about a bit. Why wouldn’t they if the could make a few quid. My own view is that it’s unlikely they would make much if any profit on him. So if they have him back it’s because they fancy keeping him.

[frank black]

Could it be paper talk to encourage us to buyout the clause?  Although if that was the case I’d have expected it last summer.

Why would we buy out the clause?

[SoccerHQ]

If Man City try to boy him back and sell him, he has to agree to the sale to wherever they want to sell him to. Otherwise they run the risk of having to keep him and pay him and not use him.

I would expect that they would chat to Dougs agents and perhaps even tout him about a bit. Why wouldn’t they if the could make a few quid. My own view is that it’s unlikely they would make much if any profit on him. So if they have him back it’s because they fancy keeping him.

Despite his inconsistancy he's been a regular prem player for two seasons now, still just 22 and starts every game that Brazil play currently.

In reality that's a 35-40m player with that profile even if he hasn't looked it the last few months.

Get the feeling that's part of Man. City's thinking if the buy back clause this summer is still below 30m. Just do a quick flip profit on him.

[Damo70]

I am quite relaxed about the whole Douglas Luiz situation. If he stays fine, if he goes fine. He is a decent player
and has improved this season but he hasn't blown me away in his time with us.

[danno]

Could it be paper talk to encourage us to buyout the clause?  Although if that was the case I’d have expected it last summer.

Why would we buy out the clause?

To prevent Man City exercising it, and allowing us to keep him?

[frank black]

Could it be paper talk to encourage us to buyout the clause?  Although if that was the case I’d have expected it last summer.

Why would we buy out the clause?

To prevent Man City exercising it, and allowing us to keep him?

But they would only have him back if they wanted him themselves. I would be certain that they couldn’t threaten to have him back to resell him to us (we buyout the deal)., the contract would be rubbish if we signed up for that.  They could of course sell him to someone else and we could match the bid so to speak.

[OCD]

Could it be paper talk to encourage us to buyout the clause?  Although if that was the case I’d have expected it last summer.

Why would we buy out the clause?

To prevent Man City exercising it, and allowing us to keep him?

The clause reportedly expires at the end of June. Bit late act on now. It either expires or it gets activated.

[Dante Lavelli]

If he doesn’t go, and the clause expires, then I’d expect a new contract to be offered.

As others have said a genuine DM is probably required regardless as either competition or to compliment Doug.