Douglas Costa 'Up for Sale' as Juventus Lose Patience With Injuries

Juventus have reportedly run out of patience with Douglas Costa's injury record, and will actively look to sell him this summer, with clubs in the Middle East taking serious interest in his signature.

When fit, Costa is one of the most effective wingers around. The problem is, he is rarely fit.

He had four separate spells on the sidelines last season but looked to finally be putting his issues behind him post-lockdown, only for a recurring hamstring injury to rear its head and end his season with three matches remaining.

He didn't feature at all in Juve's 5-0 victory over Novara at the weekend, and looks set to miss next Sunday's season opener with Udinese. It will be the 47th game he has missed with injury since the beginning of the 2018/19 season, and according to Goal, the Italian champions have decided enough is enough.

They report that Juve are keen to part company with the 29-year-old, and that there has been 'persistent interest' from clubs in the UAE. Manchester United have been linked, but it is noted that despite his representatives actively inviting bids from the Premier League, interest from England has been sparse.

Given that he is made of glass, there are doubts over his ability to withstand the physicality of English football, while his substantial wage doesn't exactly bat in his favour either. Most Premier League clubs, with the exception of Chelsea, are reining in their budgets amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Costa isn't thought to be keen to leave either. He's an ambitious player, having won five league titles with Juve and Bayern Munich, and it seems he is not keen on a move to the Middle East - his only realistic destination if he wants to avoid a hefty wage cut.

Despite managing just 1,100 minutes over 29 appearances last season, Costa was involved in 10 goals - hinting that there is a very good player buried somewhere among the injuries.