Dean Smith, the manager of Aston Villa, has revealed exactly what Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, said to him when the Villains successfully completed the acquisition of Douglas Luiz during the summer transfer window.
Despite showing promise, Luiz struggled to make the first squad after moving from Vasco da Gama to City in 2016. Work permit concerns hampered his progress.
After two productive loan stints with Girona in Spain, Villa, who had recently earned playoff promotion to the Premier League, began to show interest in him.
Guardiola was unable to provide the 21-year-old with guaranteed playing time when Rodri was acquired from Atletico Madrid, therefore it was decided to move him to Aston Villa.
Smith has now revealed what the Spaniard told him after Luiz completed his move from the Citizens.
“He’s Pep’s loss and my gain. I met Pep at the League Managers’ meeting and he spoke to me then, he was very disappointed they couldn’t get that work permit,” he told BirminghamLive.
“Pep said, ‘You’ve got a really good lad there’. There is no better endorsement for the boy.”
Luiz made an instant impact on his first start against Bournemouth, curling home a sumptuous drive from well outside the area following a corner.
The work permit system, which denied the Brazilian the chance to establish his claim for a starting position at City, has long been a source of annoyance for Guardiola. It’s challenging for me to see how a single person who has never seen the athlete and doesn’t regularly attend training sessions must make a determination. “We conclude that [Douglas] can play since he has the talent and ability to do so. I agree with the guidelines, but I don’t understand how anyone can work wherever they like. Tite, Brazil’s national manager, and I are more knowledgeable than the individuals who make that determination.
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