Douglas Luiz came off the bench for Aston Villa against Nottingham Forest on Thursday. However, there are fears the Brazilian’s situation is getting worse by the week.
The Villans signed the midfielder on loan from Juventus in January. This was right after he spent about six months at the City Ground, a move covered extensively by SportWitness. Chelsea were also interested, but Unai Emery’s side managed to bring him back.
Despite the initial promise, things haven’t been great for the player. He started five games after his arrival but since then his game time has reduced.
This is causing concerns in Italy, with the Aston Villa midfielder proving to be a problem for Juve.
Comparisons with Arthur
Calciomercato appear sure that the Brazil international will not be signed permanently by Aston Villa. Emery’s side do have an option to buy of €25m but their reduced usage is seen as a sign that the clause won’t be exercised.
Juventus now feel the 27-year-old is ‘unsellable’. Even the loan with Nottingham Forest didn’t work out, and Douglas Luiz still weighs at €30m on the Bianconeri’s accounts. His contract runs out in 2029, with the club having signed him for an amount around €50m.
He never impressed in Turin and there is little hope he plays for Juve again.
This is similar to what the Old Lady experienced when signing Arthur from Barcelona. A deal cost €72m but the midfielder has spent four loan spells away from the club and is still contracted to them. He will return from Gremio and his contract runs out in 2027.
Juve believe Douglas Luiz can go down the same route, with English clubs losing interest in him.
Our take: Juve shouldn’t panic
It would be unfair to say that Douglas Luiz has been poor in England this season. There is a reason why Aston Villa handed him multiple starts earlier and it shows the player still has some quality.
That is different from how things were for Arthur, who played no league games for Liverpool during his loan.
Douglas Luiz still offers some value, even if not for Juve. That is why there is every chance other English clubs can come calling in the summer, especially if Juve agree to a compromise.
