Manchester City made a number of big signings in the summer and that has reaped them great benefits, as they are off to a flier in the new season. The Citizens sit on top of the Premier League table, with 16 points from six games, thrashing a number of sides mercilessly.
All the new signings – Kyle Walker, Danilo, Benjamin Mendy, Bernardo Silva and Ederson Moraes have started off brilliantly. Amidst all of the big signings, City completed another piece of transfer that went slightly under the radar. The Sky Blues also signed exciting young talent Douglas Luiz from Brazilian club Vasco Da Gama, for a reported fee of £10million.
Having signed the exciting 19-year old talent in July, the Citizens loaned him out to Spanish La Liga side Girona FC for a season, and the Brazil U-20 international has been impressing in Spain for his loan club. Last night, the youngster took the field against Catalan giants Barcelona, and even though Girona were beaten 3-0, Luiz managed to catch the eye of many.
Here we take a closer look at who really is Douglas Luiz and why City went out and bought him early in the past summer.
Footballing Background
Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on 9 May, 1998, Luiz joined the youth side of Vasco Da Gama in the year 2013 at the age of 14, and having risen rapidly through the youth ranks, the attacking midfielder broke into the senior team in July 2016.
He made his first-team debut a month later, in a 2-2 draw against Tupi, in the Serie B – Brazil’s second division. He went on to feature 15 times for Vasco that season, scoring twice and helping them to achieve promotion to the Brazilian Serie A.
Luiz began the new season in good form for the Brazilians in the top-flight, making 11 appearances, in which he managed a goal. He also featured 13 times in other competitions, notching up two strikes, before Manchester City came calling in July.
On August 1, 2017, Luiz moved to newly-promoted Girona FC on loan for a season and made his debut for the club, coming on as a substitute in a 1-0 win over Malaga later that month. Since then he has featured on three more occasions, with his first start coming over the weekend against Barcelona.
Luiz has featured for the Brazil U-20 side on seven occasions so far in his career, but is yet to score a goal for the Selecao youth side.
Style of Play
Luis is primarily a central midfielder, who can play in a number of roles, be it as an attacking No.10 role or in a more withdrawn role in an orthodox No.8 position as well. The 19-year old has proven fairly adept at playing on the flanks as well.
An extremely skilled player with the ball at his feet, much like every player coming from the land of Samba, with a silky first touch and very sound technique, Luiz has displayed fleet foot and good pace and likes to drive forward with the ball. A good dribbler of the ball, he also possesses a keen eye for a defence-splitting pass and likes to have a go at the goal from distance.
As is the case with most young players, Luiz also needs to beef up his physical stature a bit, if he is to succeed in England and also work on being more of a goal threat from the midfield areas.
What Does the Future Hold?
Luiz has begun decently in Spain, showing glimpses of his potential with Girona, and he needs to continue to build on the initial promise, if he is to force his way into the thinking of Pep Guardiola come next season. It will not be easy for him, considering the plethora of midfield options at City’s disposal, but a strong season in the La Liga might be able to convince the Catalan boss to consider him as a potential option come next season.
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