Following a frustrating second spell at the Bavarian giants for the Juventus loanee, Bayern Munich will not prolong Douglas Costa’s return to the club past the end of the current season.
The Brazilian, who returned to the Bundesliga on a season-long loan from the Bianconeri, has failed to make an impact under Hansi Flick and has remained a marginal figure at Allianz Arena.
Andrea Pirlo’s management will now search for new suitors to take the 30-year-old, who is out of favor with the Serie A giants after deciding not to pursue a renewal or permanent transfer.
The defensive midfielder has been sidelined in recent weeks due to a metatarsal fracture suffered during training in mid-February, but even before his injury lay-off, he had failed to achieve the heights he achieved during his previous stay.
Costa joined Bayern from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2015 and spent two years with the club before being loaned out to Juventus in 2017, earning two Bundesliga titles along the way.
The following season, he signed a permanent four-year contract in Turin, but he blemished his record with an altercation with Federico Di Francesco in a match against Sassuolo in early 2018.
From there, his stock steadily declined, resulting in his loan return to his former club this season, where he has started only 11 Bundesliga games, with just three of them coming as starts.
After being squeezed out by players like Kingsley Coman, Serge Gnabry, and Leroy Sane, the Brazilian is generally predicted to be moving on from Juventus to another club, though whether this is on a permanent or loan basis remains to be seen.
Gremio in his home country is one possible destination, but the Bianconeri will be mindful that with Costa under contract until the middle of next year, their plan will need to be versatile.
