After a year and a half away from Aston Villa, Douglas Luiz has decided to return to the club.
Having failed to acquire a work permit when he was on the books of Man City, the Brazilian initially signed for the Villans in the summer of 2019.
He spent five seasons in their squad until the end of the 2023/24 campaign, serving a significant role in the earlier days of the project of Unai Emery.
Luiz became the Player of the Year for Villa in the 2022/23 season, while he registered a tally of 10 goals and 10 assists in all competitions the next year as the side wrapped up a finish in the top four.
He has since played for Juventus, unable to break into the lineup, and a loan spell at Nottingham Forest has been cut short with no major impression made under the leadership of Sean Dyche.
This decision marks an opportunity for the 27-year-old to remind everyone what he can offer on the pitch.
The return to the Midlands is also a welcome sight for supporters of a side with a hollow midfield.
Amadou Onana has come back from an injury that forced him off the field against **Arsenal**at the end of 2025, but other options are now out of action.
Youri Tielemans suffered an ankle injury against Newcastle United a week after John McGinn picked up a knee issue against Everton.
Those two incidents compound the absence of Boubacar Kamara, who was substituted off in the early stages of a 2-1 defeat against **Tottenham**in the **FA Cup**third round at the start of January.
Villa seek to stay competitive on three fronts: they are into the fourth round of the **FA Cup**and one of the favourites for Champions League qualification through the Premier League as well as Europa League coronation.
However, a strong squad will be needed to achieve the targets of the team by the end of May, and a familiar face who is accustomed to **Emery**’s demands should support that ambition.