Stan Collymore immediately worried by what he’s read on Douglas Luiz as Aston Villa seal signing
Doubts have been raised about Aston Villa pursuing former midfielder Douglas Luiz.
Luiz left Villa for Juventus in 2024 in a £42.4 million deal, but things have not worked out for the Brazilian.
After playing 27 times for Juve last season, a meagre six of which were starts, Nottingham Forest signed him on loan, but he hasn’t had much of a look-in under manager Sean Dyche.
Following injuries to Villa’s midfield destroyer Boubacar Kamara and Villa Park favourite and captain John McGinn, Unai Emery’s team are looking at midfield reinforcements.
Villa have been tracking Luiz in light of Youri Tielemans suffering an ankle injury in their win over Newcastle United.
While some are thrilled at this news, others are less thrilled about a player who has struggled for game time in the past 18 months.
Aston Villa striker Douglas Luiz breakthrough but concerns remain
According to Telegraph journalist Jason Burt, Villa have secured the loan capture of Luiz for the rest of the season.
Chelsea were said to be interested in the 27-year-old, whose Juve contract runs until 2029, but the Premier League title challengers look to have won this battle.
A vast swathe of Villa fans will be delighted at this development after seeing him shine at Villa Park, but the Luiz that left may not be the one that returns to the West Midlands outfit.
Indeed, although he has made 14 appearances for Forest this season, he is yet to complete a full 90 minutes.
Luiz has started seven matches in all competitions this term for the Tricky Trees, but Villa legend Stan Collymore is wary of him joining the club again.
However, Collymore, who scored 15 goals in 51 games for Villa between 1997 and 99, is putting his faith in Emery’s ability to get the best out of players.
With Villa midfielder Ross Barkley also out injured, signing Luiz makes sense, but whether he can thrive again at Villa Park remains to be seen.
Should Villa sign another player along with Luiz?
Villa are competing on multiple fronts this season.
They are in the thick of a Premier League title race with Arsenal and Manchester City, with the Gunners holding a three-point lead ahead of their two nearest rivals.
Villa are also progressing in the FA Cup and Europa League, both competitions, they have a realistic chance of winning.
But with Luiz failing to complete full matches, maybe Villa need someone who can play 90 minutes week after week.
Villa have been linked with AC Milan midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek, but that has yet to materialise into something concrete.
Villa are hamstrung by the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules, so loans may be a smart option, with time quickly running out.
But with their injury concerns, it may be a risk to rely on the likes of Luiz, the inexperienced Lamare Bogarde and the injury-prone Amadou Onana going forward.
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