Why Manchester United should ward off their interest in Douglas Costa

According to Daily Express, Juventus are willing to offer Douglas Costa as part of a swap deal involving Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba.

However, this is not the first time Costa has been linked with the Premier League side. The Brazilian winger has in the past attracted interest from the Red Devils, who wanted to sign him under former boss Jose Mourinho.

Moreover, United now see the 29-year-old attacker as a cheap alternative to Jadon Sancho, whom they have been tracking for some time now. With the financial implications of the coronavirus affecting many clubs including United, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side may now be forced to put their interests in the Borussia Dortmund winger on hold.

Costa does not fit the kind of talent United want

Costa has not had the best of seasons, after having fallen out of favour with new boss Mauricio Sarri.

The attacking winger has made just 14 Serie A appearances this term and has only three assists to his name. This is something low considering even Costa’s standards, as he has been a consistent performer for them in the past.

For someone who had four goals and 12 assists to his name from 31 league appearances in his maiden season (2017-18) for Juventus, Costa’s performances seem to have taken a sudden dip in form.

The Juventus wide-man also had a difficult campaign last season, featuring in just 17 league games. Costa had been sidelined for the most part of Juventus’ 2018/19 season after suffering a calf injury.

With Costa’s displays on the pitch clearly not as impressive as his former days, it would be wise of United to rethink before making any move for the Brazilian winger.

United already have wingers Daniel James, Marcus Rashford, Jesse Lingard, and Tahith Chong in the side. Moreover, Rashford is recovering from the injury that he sustained and is certain to feature in Solskjaer’s first-team line-up next season.Thus, the Red Devils should end their interest in Costa and look for options elsewhere.

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Verdict

Manchester United already have enough talented wingers in their side and Costa does not fit the bill, given Solskjaer’s plans to play young and upcoming talents. Moreover, Costa’s numbers in recent days suggest that he is way past his prime and looks to be nearing the end of his career.

Hence, United clearly do not need someone like Costa, who has been injured and out-of-form in recent times.