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da spicy bet： This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…
As confirmed on the club’s official website, Douglas Luiz has left Manchester City to join fellow Premier League side Aston Villa in a reported £15m deal.
What’s the word?
The 21-year-old joined City from Brazilian side Vasco da Gama back in 2017 but failed to make a single appearance for the side in his time at the Etihad.
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Work permit issues meant that Luiz spent the last two seasons on loan at Girona in Spain and made 46 appearances for the club. After having a work permit application turned down last August, Luiz leaves City without ever making a mark on the side.
A complete waste
Having signed a five-year contract at the Etihad, there were high hopes for what Luiz could have achieved at City. Indeed, speaking at the announcement of his signing back in July 2017, the Manchester side’s director of football Txiki Begiristain said: “We are pleased to welcome Douglas. He is an exciting player with great potential, and everyone here is looking forward to helping him develop his talent and progress in the game.”
Instead, the man signed in a £10.7m deal leaves the Etihad with barely anything to show for it. Should City have foreseen this very situation transpiring back in 2017? Of course in hindsight it is easy to point fingers, but for the club the stature of City, not recognising the potential pitfalls of bringing in a teenager from Brazil with all the rules and regulations surrounding the game right now feels a little perplexing.
The indoor football skills in the video below have to be seen to be believed…
Indeed, speaking last summer after City’s work permit application was rejected, Pep Guardiola said: “It’s so difficult for me to understand. One guy who doesn’t see the player or any training sessions every day has to judge if [Douglas] has the ability and quality to play.
“I accept the rules but I don’t understand. I am so sad and disappointed for Douglas, because he could help us.”
Whilst the club have seemingly made a tidy profit on a player that didn’t even end up playing for them, the biggest disappointment on the whole however should surely be at how City have let such a situation to develop. It’s negligent at best and a total mishap at worst.
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