Nottingham Forest are almost there in the long pursuit of Douglas Luiz, with one factor helping the Reds push ahead of Everton to win the race.
Reports suggest that Forest are set to pay £25m for Luiz, a remarkable coup given that Juventus paid almost double for the Brazilian last summer.
The move never quite worked out for Luiz, though, giving Premier League clubs the chance to bring him back to English football after Juventus decided to let Luiz leave this summer.
It’s not been the smoothest negotiation, though, with Graeme Bailey explaining to Nottingham Forest News the factor that set the Reds apart from their Premier League rivals.
Douglas Luiz warms up ahead of Juventus vs Atalanta
Photo by Emmanuele Ciancaglini/Ciancaphoto Studio/Getty Images
How Nottingham Forest secured the signing of Douglas Luiz
It felt as if progress was finally being made when Evangelos Marinakis got personally involved in the Luiz negotiations, given that the same intervention seemed to get the Dan Ndoye deal over the line.
However, the Luiz transfer has been one that has rumbled on for much longer than Ndoye ever did, with Bailey exclusively detailing the negotiation process.
He said: “Forest were always aware of the Douglas Luiz situation, they have a close relationship with Kia Joorabchian, who has been involved in a number of their Brazilian deals.
🚨🌳 Nottingham Forest and Douglas Luiz, deal almost done! Final details being sorted and then… here we go.
Douglas only wants #NFFC and the two clubs are finalising small details ahead of green light to travel for medical.
Almost there. 🔜🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/KjGSXCBxyp
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 19, 2025
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“Edu always had Luiz in his thoughts and was in touch with the camp all summer, but it did not accelerate until early July. Once they were aware that Juventus were willing to move him on, Forest were interested. Everton pushed hard but once Forest made their move, they were confident.
“Luiz knows the Midlands area from his time at Villa and was happy with the prospect of coming in.”
The familiarity of the area will have certainly made the decision easier, but the last week of transfer activity from the City Ground must’ve also helped Luiz understand that he’s joining a club with major ambitions.
Douglas Luiz will join a ‘massively improved’ Nottingham Forest
Probably the most high-profile arrival of the summer, Luiz solidifies what has been a summer of necessary improvement for the Reds to help Nuno Espírito Santo ensure that last season was no fluke.
The signings have clearly caught the eye of those with knowledge of the transfer market, too, as Bailey detailed how impressive Forest’s work in the window has been.
He said: “This deal is a real line in the sand for Forest – it highlights the depth they now have. This squad compared to last season, even with Elanga’s loss, is massively improved and they really believe they can show last season’s Champions League push was no flash in the pan.”
Given that Espírito Santo was worried about his Forest squad before the 3-1 win over Brentford, the Portuguese boss now has an abundance of talent to work with, making the Reds particularly interesting viewing as he figures out how to fit his new stars in.