Aston Villa Target Juventus Midfielder Douglas Luiz Amid Nottingham Forest Loan Limbo
Aston Villa want Douglas Luiz as a replacement for the injured Boubacar Kamara.
Giuseppe Labellarte
Updated on 22 January 2026
Aston Villa are being linked with a surprise move to bring Juventus midfielder Douglas Luiz back to Villa Park.
Reports in Italy and England suggest Villa have been alerted to an opening because Luiz’s loan spell at Nottingham Forest is not going smoothly.
Forest signed the Brazil midfielder on a season-long loan from Juventus last summer, with a clause that can turn the deal permanent.
Now, the same clause is being blamed for why Luiz is being benched, with suggestions he has been “frozen out” to avoid triggering it.
Why Douglas Luiz has fallen down Nottingham Forest pecking order amid Aston Villa links
Douglas Luiz has emerged as a surprise option for Aston Villa as Unai Emery seeks a replacement for Boubacar Kamara.
The 26-year-old could miss the rest of the season with a knee injury he suffered against Tottenham on January 10.
Luiz is currently on loan at Forest from Juventus, though a permanent move worth €28.5m is unlikely.
As Nicolo Schira has reported, Forest must buy Luiz if he plays at least 45 minutes in 15 Premier League games.
#DouglasLuiz’s future at #NottinghamForest seems in doubt. He is no longer central in Dyche’s Plans. #Juventus are at the window; because there is an obligation to buy (28,5M) for #NFFC, if the midfielder plays 15 games (of 45 minutes at least) in Premier League. #transfers
— Nicolò Schira (@NicoSchira) January 22, 2026
Considering he is reportedly no longer in Sean Dyche’s plans, he has gone down the pecking order and is getting little game time.
That can create an awkward situation for the player. He ends up stuck in a limbo through no real fault of his own.
Douglas Luiz and why Aston Villa are watching closely
Douglas Luiz knows the demands of Unai Emery and the Premier League. This makes him a very attractive option to Aston Villa.
January deals can be tricky as the player is thrown in at the deep end. However, signing someone like Luiz reduces this risk considerably.
Luiz’s tempo control, set-piece quality and the ability to play in various midfield positions are hugely familiar to Villa.
It seems like a no-brainer for the Villans. And with Luiz not being wanted by either Forest or Juve, Villa have a good chance of making it happen.
In other Italy-related Villa news, Leon Bailey is at Villa once again after Roma cut his loan spell short.
Meanwhile, speculation linking Inter and Emi Martinez has intensified in recent days.
Giuseppe Labellarte
Giuseppe Labellarte is a sports journalist with over a decade of professional experience in the industry. His main professional expertise is in soccer. Prior to joining FootItalia, he worked for the likes of Sports Mole, TBR Football, the Chelsea Chronicle and numerous other sites, along with having bylines in the likes of the Nottingham Post. He holds degrees in Journalism and International Relations.
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