Douglas Luiz of Juventus
Douglas Luiz of Juventus (Image: Juventus FC via Getty Images)
Aston Villa favourite and former midfielder Douglas Luiz could return to the Premier League this coming summer transfer window - with Villa's top flight and Midlands rivals Nottingham Forest eager to offer him a route back to England.
Luiz only left Villa for Serie A side Juventus in the summer in a deal worth in excess of £40m, a move which was largely prompted by Villa's need to sell in the wake of the threat of breaching P&S rules.
It's not been the smoothest of transitions for the Brazilian, who struggled to nail down a place in the Juve starting XI in the first half of the season. Indeed even now, as we head towards the final stretch of the campaign, he has started just three league games and is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury.
“Here I found a different kind of football," he said earlier this season when asked about the switch. "I know that Serie A is as complicated as the Premier League, but there are other aspects that have affected my adaptation. Happy with the club, the coach and my teammates, I want to continue here and give my best.”
Still, the speculation linking Luiz with a return to England hasn't subsided over the course of the year and new Forest sporting director Edu, who tried to sign Luiz when he was working at former club Arsenal, remains a big admirer of the player, reports Tuttosport.
Back in November, Villa's president of football operations Monchi indicated that he would be happy to work with Luiz again in the future: "He’s a playmaker. Every ball that comes out of his feet makes sense. After his farewell we invested well, but I would always take Douglas back, for any club. He’s very strong.
"He’s playing less than we would have expected, but we’re talking about a very strong player. Some players make their mark straight away, others need time. You need patience, but Douglas’ qualities are beyond discussion. Last year he played 90 per cent of our games and was decisive."
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