Aston Villa has signed Brazilian midfielder Douglas Luiz to a loan deal with Juventus that will last until the end the of the current season. Villa has the option to extend this deal permanently.
Luiz returns to Villa Park following a previous spell between 2019 and 2020, during which he played 204 games. The loan he had at Nottingham Forest ended, which allowed him to return to Villa despite Chelsea’s interest.
Luiz’s move is prompted by injuries in the midfield
Unai Emery, the Villa manager is faced with a crisis in midfield. John McGinn, the club captain, will be out for 6 to 8 weeks due to a knee problem.
Emery said, “After these updates, we must manage the central midfield for the matches that we will be playing.”
Ross Barkley is likely to be back in the team soon. This will provide more options for the midfield.
Luiz’s Journey Since Departing Villa
Villa sold Luiz in 2024 to Juventus for PS42.35 millions. He made just three Serie A appearances last season, before moving to Nottingham Forest on loan.
Additional Squad Updates
Villa has recently acquired Tammy Abraham, a striker from Besiktas. The deal was worth £18.5m. Leon Bailey returned to Roma after his loan, and Donyell malen joined Roma in the first window of this year. Andres Garca is likely to be out for three weeks with a hamstring problem.
Harvey Elliott’s future plan remains the same despite ongoing injuries. The club is unwilling to spend the extra PS30m required to extend his loan to Liverpool. Elliott played 5 times in this season, but hasn’t appeared since October. Emery stated that “With Harvey it will not change.” Harvey was in the squad against Newcastle, and is available if needed.
Villa Season Outlook
Villa is currently third in the Premier League and four points off the leaders Arsenal. They have already qualified for Europa League’s last 16, with just one game left to play during the league phase. Luiz’s return is crucial for Villa to continue its momentum in both the Premier League and European competition.
