Douglas Luiz’s loan return to Aston Villa accelerated quickly at the end of the winter transfer window. Sport Witness covered the move closely, as the Villans beat Chelsea to the chase.
The Brazilian is currently on loan at Villa Park but the Midlands club have the option to buy him permanently.
So far in the loan at Aston Villa, Douglas Luiz has started every Premier League game. The 27-year-old is filling in reliably in midfield during an ongoing injury crisis.
It now seems like Unai Emery’s side want to sign him permanently and Calciomercato IT report about the possibility.
The outlet indicate that Juventus want to part ways with Andrea Cambiaso in the summer. As a result, they want a replacement for the Italian and Aston Villa’s Ian Maatsen has caught their attention.
Maatsen interesting Juventus
The Dutchman is said to be dissatisfied with life in Birmingham due to a lack of game time. This is mentioned confidently, even if the defender has played over 1000 minutes in the Premier League in this campaign.
There is belief that Emery doesn’t see Maatsen as an indispensable part of the side. This can lead to a summer exit and he can be used in a possible swap deal to sign Douglas Luiz permanently.
Both players are said to have a similar valuation and this can make a swap easier for the clubs. Aston Villa have the option to buy the Brazil international permanently for €25m and CM believe Maatsen’s valuation is also similar.
Aston Villa should be wary of Douglas Luiz’s fitness
Apart from the fact that the report is based on presumptions, signing Douglas Luiz permanently comes with a risk.
Even if he has played regularly since joining, his fitness record since the move to Juventus has been poor. Even at Nottingham Forest, he missed multiple matches because of two separate muscle injuries.
Aston Villa have to keep that in mind, especially if they let Maatsen depart. The Netherlands man adds versatility and ball-playing ability in the backline and Emery has always been a fan of players like that.