Manchester City could re-sign the £42m star on loan in January

Manchester City They could have skipped last season, after a horrific run of five games without a win, followed by back-to-back victories over Leicester City and West Ham United.

The Citizens managed to end 2024 on a high note, beating the Foxes 2-0 at the King Power Stadium, before going four-goal clear of the hapless Hammers to start 2025 strong.

The reigning Premier League champions are now unbeaten in their last three matches, having also drawn 1-1 at home to Everton on Boxing Day.

There have been changes made by Guardiola in each of those games, with veteran midfielder Ilkay Gundogan barely featuring in recent weeks.

Gundogan season 2024/25

It has been a difficult season for German midfielder Gundogan. After a year away from the Etihad Stadium, and playing for Barcelona for a season, he returned to the club On free transfer In the summer.

On his return to the club, the treble winner has certainly had a big involvement with the Citizens this season, but has not made the most impact in the Sky Blue squad. I have Played 25 times In all competitions, he scored two goals in the Champions League and had one assist in the First Division.

In fact, things did not go as smoothly as Gundogan had hoped. At times, the German did not look like the player he was during his first spell at the club. Earlier in the season, Suggested by football analyst Omair He “lacks a little bit of intensity” in his game.

The void that Gundogan has to fill in Rodri's absence is certainly taking a toll on him and his teammates. City could need reinforcements in the middle of the park, and have been linked with some players similar to the German.

Man City midfield goal

The player in question here is the Juventus and Brazil international midfielder Douglas Louise. The former Aston Villa player has struggled to find regular playing time at his current club, Juventus, and The Mirror reported on New Year's Day A transfer for the midfielder has been “discussed as a loan option”.

In fact, he did not have as much role in Turin as he thought After a £42m move. Louise has Played 12 times Across all competitions, nine of those matches came in Serie A. Perhaps surprisingly, he played just 343 minutes in competition for the Old Lady.

However, there is no doubt about the Brazilian's talent in midfield. His record with Villa is impressive given that he has played as a deeper midfielder at times. in 204 matches for the clubHe scored 22 goals and provided 24 assists.

His performance was so good that… Described by football statistician Dave Statman As the 'Premier League Midfielder of the Year' in February 2024. In fact, His final season in claret and blue, 2023/24certainly caught the eye when Luiz scored nine goals and provided five assists in 35 league matches.

Parallels can certainly be drawn between Luiz and Gundogan. Firstly, if he signs for City, it will also be a return to the club like the German. Juventus man He joined the Mancunian team in 2017even though he never actually played any games.

You can also make statistical comparisons between pairs Also via FBref. Although the sample size is small, the numbers they put in per 90 minutes are similar. For example, Luiz has played 6.06 progressive passes and recovered 4.24 balls this season.

In comparison, Gundogan is averaging 5.65 progressive passes and completing 5.08 ball recoveries in the 2024/25 season. They are similar in many areas of their playing styles.

This could be a great deal for the citizens to complete. Not only will they add quality depth to their squad in the short term, but they will also bring in a player similar to Gundogan. This will reduce your workload and perhaps bring out the best version of yourself as well.

Given that it is only a loan, this seems like a smart deal for City to do, and it could certainly help them get back to regularly winning ways.