Douglas Luiz stance on Juventus transfer mooted as Aston Villa exit now lined up
Alan Hutton has admitted that money could be what tempts Douglas Luiz to leave Aston Villa for Juventus during the summer transfer window.
The Brazilian midfielder enjoyed an excellent season under Unai Emery at Villa Park, scoring nine goals from midfield to help the Villa’s finish fourth in the Premier League and qualify for the Champions League.
Luiz’s form hasn’t gone unnoticed, however, with reports suggesting Italian giants Juventus are keen to try and secure the 26-year-old’s signature this summer and may even offer Weston McKennie as part of a swap deal [Sky Sports, 4 June].
Although Hutton believes the draw of playing in the Champions League at Villa Park could be enough to tempt the midfielder into turning down a move to Turin, he admits the financial side of the transfer could sway his decision.
“I would love to see him stay, he’s been outstanding,” Hutton exclusively told Villa News.
“He’s integral to everything that Aston Villa do whether it be building from the back, moving the ball through the lines, his set-piece delivery and everything that goes on.
“I think he’s so key to Unai Emery and the way that he sets up his team, so to lose him would be an absolutely huge blow and replacing him would be very difficult.
“These rumours haven’t gone away for so long now, they’ve always been circulating and it must be difficult for him as a player to brush that to one side and just get on with it and concentrate.
“Everything really depends on what offers come in but I would hate to see him leave. If Villa had finished seventh or eighth and he still had a decent season then there could be more behind this.
“Going into the Champions League is a draw for these guys, I know we’re talking about other big teams playing at a high level as well, but working so hard to get where you are at this moment in time, would you want to walk away from that?
“Again, money talks.”
Will Aston Villa and Unai Emery sell Douglas Luiz to Juventus during the summer transfer window?
As Hutton suggested, Luiz has been an integral part of Villa’s transformation under Emery and while that will make fans reluctant to lose him this summer, they could be powerless to stop the Brazilian from leaving.
The Villans may be hamstrung by profit and sustainability regulations this summer and they could need to sell players before adding to their squad and there are few stars more valuable in Emery’s ranks currently than Luiz.
If the right offer arrived for the Brazilian and he was keen on a move to Turin, it would be hard for Villa to walk away from the deal.
Hopefully, the Champions League is a big enough incentive to keep Luiz beyond the summer, but it may not be as clear-cut as fans would like.
In other Aston Villa news, NSWE are understood to be ready to afford the fee needed to win the transfer race for Archie Brown
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