Juventus put Douglas Costa up for sale following injury woes

Juventus have elected to put attacker Douglas Costa up for sale due to the Brazilian’s persistent problems with injury, Goal can confirm.

Manchester United are set to have their ears pricked by this news, as they have been closely linked with the 29-year-old wideman in the past, but the more persistent interest has come from clubs in the UAE.

The player, however, is not keen on departing Juve as he wishes to prove himself at a club he joined in 2017, initially on loan, following a two-year stint in the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich.

This is in part driven by a lack of interest from elsewhere. Although his agents have tried to stir up interest from Premier League clubs, there is too much doubt over his physical capacity to play on a regular basis. 

During the 2019-20 campaign, he managed 29 outings for Juve and impressed when he was available, scoring three goals in all competitions while laying on a further seven assists.

However, his season was blighted with injury issues, missing 21 fixtures in total, and it was only after the suspension of play because of the coronavirus pandemic that he was able to put together a lengthy series of appearances, and even then these typically came from the bench.

His season ended prematurely as he suffered a tear in an abductor muscle, and that same issue is set to prevent him featuring at the beginning of the 2020-21 campaign for the Turin giants, who are aiming for their 10th Serie A crown in succession having appointed Andrea Pirlo to head coach over the summer.

Similarly, he spent a good deal of time during the previous term out. He featured 18 times in Serie A during the 2018-19 term but missed four matches due to a suspension and another 16 because of injuries.

These were overwhelmingly muscular, with a hamstring problem keeping him out for two months only to be struck by a calf injury sustained after only 30 competitive minutes.

During his time in Turin, he has won three Scudetti, while he is also a two-time Bundesliga champion.