Aston Villa are closing in on the signing of midfielder Douglas Luiz, with the Brazilian undergoing his medical ahead of a loan with a £22m buy option move, according to David Ornstein.
Luiz has spent the first half of the campaign on loan at Nottingham Forest from Juventus, but he's struggled to make the impact expected for Sean Dyche's side. Luiz is temporarily heading back to the Italian club, but not for long, with a return to the Premier League pending.
Luiz has spent more time at Aston Villa than at any other club during his career, playing a total of 204 games before departing. Since his move to Juventus, he's played just 877 minutes, subsequently being sent on loan to Nottingham Forest at the beginning of the 2025/2026 campaign.
Douglas Luiz Set for Aston Villa Return
Douglas Luiz during a pre-match warm-up with Nottingham Forest
According to The Athletic's Ornstein, Luiz is undergoing the last parts of his medical ahead of completing his return to Aston Villa. An agreement is now finalised, with Luiz set to join on loan for the remainder of the season, with Villa having a £22m buy option as part of the deal.
Luiz, who has been described as 'world-class' by John McGinn in the past, only left Villa Park in 2024, making the move to Italy. The Brazilian international signed for Juventus for a fee of around £42.5m, and he's now set to return on loan, with his buy option just over half of what they paid for him.
Midfield Crisis at Aston Villa
Youri Tielemans celebrating after scoring for Aston Villa in the UEFA Europa League against Basel
There is undoubtedly a midfield crisis at Aston Villa at the moment, with Youri Tielemans the latest player to be set for a spell on the sidelines. The Belgian international is now set for an 'extended spell' out injured, leaving Unai Emery short of options in the middle of the park.
It's also been claimed that Boubacar Kamara is out for the season after suffering a knee problem against Tottenham Hotspur earlier this month, while John McGinn is also on the treatment table. Thankfully for Emery, Amadou Onana recently returned to action, but it's certainly no surprise that they've stepped up their interest in a new midfielder in the last few days.