Douglas Luiz is set to sign for injury-hit Aston Villa on loan with an option to buy - despite rival interest from Chelsea. A deal has been agreed in principle and talks are now ongoing over terms.
The Brazilian midfielder's loan to Nottingham Forest - where he has been a bit-part player - is being cancelled before he swaps clubs in England for his former home at Villa Park.
Luiz was wanted by Villa, Chelsea and clubs in La Liga but chose to return to the club he made 204 appearances for between 2019 and 2024. Villa sold the 27-year-old to Juventus for £42.5million in 2024 to help solve their profit and sustainability problems but he failed to break through in Turin.
Daily Mail Sport reported last week how Chelsea had made an enquiry over a loan deal.
Villa are third in the Premier League, nine points clear of fifth-placed Chelsea who were considering a move for Luiz to add to their midfield depth.
It is welcome news for Unai Emery, who faces a midfield injury crisis. Youri Tielemans has had a second assessment on an ankle injury and is set for a spell on the sidelines, triggering Villa to accelerate their interest.
They also have John McGinn out for six weeks and Boubacar Kamara out for the season. Ross Barkley is edging towards fitness but there is a need for experience and bodies to maintain a title push.
Chelsea were discussing whether to temporarily bring Luiz to Stamford Bridge following setbacks to Romeo Lavia and Dario Essugo.
Lavia, whose career with the Blues has been curtailed by injuries, has not appeared since early November and no timeframe has been placed on the 22-year-old’s return.
Essugo has succumbed to another injury issue and is expected to be out for a month.
Luiz did not feature in Forest's 2-0 win at Brentford at the weekend, which manager Sean Dyche said was due to illness.