Douglas Luiz is set to turn down a return to Aston Villa as he favours a move to Chelsea, according to journalist Jorge Nicola. The Brazilian midfielder is on loan at Nottingham Forest from Juventus but has not featured prominently under Forest manager Sean Dyche. Nicola reported Chelsea have made progress through contact with Luiz’s agent and are in talks with Juventus about a loan deal to the end of the season.
Douglas Luiz favours Chelsea move as Villa chase midfield cover
Journalist Jorge Nicola reported midfielder Douglas Luiz is not willing to return to Aston Villa because he prefers a move to Chelsea. Luiz is currently on loan at Nottingham Forest from Juventus, but Villa manager Unai Emery is said to be pursuing him as he looks to add midfield depth in the summer transfer window. The report added Villa feel they made a mistake by selling the Brazilian to Juventus.
Nicola’s report said Villa have little chance of bringing Luiz back because the player wants to join Chelsea. The report described Chelsea as seeking more midfield options due to their reliance on Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez, while also pointing to injury issues for Romeo Lavia as a factor behind the club’s desire to add another midfielder.
Forest are ready to let Luiz leave in the middle of the season, according to the report, after the midfielder did not feature prominently under Sean Dyche. The report said Luiz has made five Premier League starts for Forest and believes his development has stalled, with players seeking more playing time in a season when a World Cup is coming up.
Chelsea have established contact with Luiz’s agent Kia Joorabchian and are ready to beat competition for the signing of the 27-year-old, the report said. Chelsea are already in contact with Juventus about signing Luiz on loan until the end of the season, with the possibility of making the move permanent in the summer. Nicola wrote on X that Luiz will play on loan at Chelsea until mid-year and that people close to the midfielder guarantee the deal is sealed.
