Douglas Luiz set for Aston Villa return
Douglas Luiz is poised to complete a loan switch back to Aston Villa, beating Chelsea to secure the Brazilian midfielder’s signature, reports BritPanorama.
The two clubs have reached an agreement in principle, with negotiations over the finer details currently underway.
His temporary spell at Nottingham Forest will be terminated to facilitate the move. Villa saw off competition from both the Blues and several Spanish clubs to bring Luiz back to Villa Park, where he previously featured 204 times during a five-year stint between 2019 and 2024.
Unai Emery’s mounting injury concerns in the middle of the park have driven Villa to fast-track their pursuit of the midfielder. Youri Tielemans faces time on the sidelines after undergoing a second assessment on an ankle problem, prompting the club to step up their efforts. The Belgian setback compounds an already difficult situation, with John McGinn expected to miss approximately six weeks of action.
Boubacar Kamara’s season is effectively over due to injury, leaving Villa desperately short of options in central midfield. Ross Barkley is making progress in his recovery, but the third-placed side requires additional experienced reinforcements to sustain their title challenge.
Villa parted ways with Luiz in 2024, selling him to Juventus for £42.5 million as part of efforts to address profit and sustainability requirements. However, the midfielder never established himself in Serie A. He returned to the Premier League, joining Forest on a temporary basis, where opportunities remained limited.
Chelsea had also explored bringing Luiz to Stamford Bridge, amid the west London club’s own midfield difficulties. Romeo Lavia has been absent since early November with no return date confirmed, while Dario Essugo is also sidelined for around a month.
Luiz missed the club’s 2-0 victory at Brentford over the weekend, with manager Sean Dyche attributing his absence to illness. During his time at Villa, Luiz scored 22 goals and provided 24 assists across all competitions, with his best season being the 2023-24 Premier League campaign, in which he recorded 9 goals and 5 assists in 35 appearances. Villa’s next match is in the Europa League against RB Salzburg on Thursday, January 29.
The stakes couldn’t be higher for Villa, as they seek to enhance their midfield just when they need it most, a timely return for a player previously critical to their success.
