
Chelsea
Premier League • England
Chelsea given golden chance to sign Douglas Luiz as star’s stance on move, Juventus demands revealed

Chelsea are interested in Juventus midfielder Douglas Luiz
Chelsea have the opportunity to sign former Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz this month and are considering making a bid, while Manchester City and Arsenal are also keeping tabs on the situation.
The Blues are very busy behind the scenes as they prepare to attack the final two weeks of the transfer window, with a new defender, midfielder, winger and forward on their wish list.
TEAMtalk understands that Chelsea are considering a move for Juventus defensive midfielder Luiz, who has been made available for transfer for the Turin-based club.
Juventus manager Thiago Motta has decided Luiz doesn’t figure in his long-term plans, despite the fact the Brazilian only joined from Aston Villa last summer in a deal worth around £42million.
The 26-year-old’s agents have been working hard to find a solution and sources have revealed to TEAMtalk that Chelsea have been offered the opportunity to bid.
The former Villa star is keen to remain at the top of the game and wants to play Champions League football, so has been offered to clubs fighting for European spots in England and around Europe.
Luiz wants to return to the Premier League after shining during his time with Villa, where he scored nine league goals in 35 appearances last season. Juventus want to recoup the money they spend on Luiz but are prepared to part ways with the midfielder this month.
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Three Premier League clubs interested in Douglas Luiz
Luiz’s switch to the Serie A hasn’t gone to plan and he is ready to leave Juventus after just six months at the club, TEAMtalk sources have confirmed.
We understand that Man City are admirers of Luiz and they are in the market for a new defensive midfielder. However, they are currently focusing their efforts on younger profiles, with Crystal Palace star Adam Wharton among the options being looked at by the club.
Arsenal also hold long-term interest in Luiz and tried to sign him before he joined Juventus. They could consider a move amid the uncertainty surrounding the future of Thomas Partey.
The Gunners are currently trying to pre-agree a deal for Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi for next summer, though, so he may be the man to fill the void that could be left by Partey.
For now, Arsenal are focusing their efforts on signing a new striker this summer to fill in for injured forward Gabriel Jesus and aid their title charge.
Chelsea are therefore in a good position should they choose for Luiz to bolster Enzo Maresca’s midfield options.
Sources state that Juventus are looking for a fee in the region of £45million for Luiz and are waiting from approaches from clubs who are interested in doing a deal.
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Meanwhile, TEAMtalk understands that Chelsea are firmly in the race for Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho and are considering offering a player as a makeweight in the deal.
However, Antonio Conte has spoken with Garnacho and offered assurances that he will be a key player if he joins Napoli, who have already submitted one bid for the 20-year-old.
Garnacho’s dream is to play for Real Madrid in the future and Napoli have said they are willing to offer him a platform to achieve this, while a switch to Chelsea wouldn’t necessarily give him consistent playing time.
In other news, Tottenham are reportedly considering a move for Chelsea centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo as Ange Postecoglou looks to add to his options at the back.
Chelsea are reluctant to allow Tosin to leave this month but could consider a sizeable bid for the defender, with other Premier League clubs also understood to be interested.
What’s gone wrong for Douglas Luiz at Juventus?
Douglas Luiz’s move from Aston Villa to Juventus was the second most expensive signing in Serie A last summer, though it was offset by Samuel Iling-Junior and Enzo Barrenechea being traded the other way.
Ironically, Iling-Junior and Barrenechea are both on loan away from Aston Villa already, and Luiz’s Juventus future is in doubt too.
After a slow integration, Luiz has only started three of Juventus’ first 21 Serie A matches this season, although he was injured for eight of them.
And Juventus boss Thiago Motta has attributed some of the Brazilian’s struggles to his physical problems.
“I hope and believe a lot in him. He has been out for a long time,” Motta said in December.
“He certainly doesn’t have the physical level of some of his teammates. He can do everything and has shown he’s a complete midfielder at a high level.”
But despite his wide skillset, Luiz has taken time to adapt to Motta’s tactics at Juventus. He isn’t alone, with fellow midfield signing – and the only addition more expensive than him in the summer – Teun Koopmeiners also failing to convince so far.
The pressure is on, though, with Luiz not being given as much freedom as he had at Aston Villa, where everything ran through him. Now he has more of a specific role to fulfil and more rigorous instructions, which he is not yet completely up to speed with.
Luiz needs to develop his tactical discipline to succeed in Serie A, but his current fortunes don’t mean he has lost his way, since Juventus are struggling to reach their expected levels anyway. Although unbeaten in Serie A, they have drawn more games than they have won.
Earlier this month, Motta demanded defensive improvements from Luiz, but still suggested he could play in any of his three midfield roles.
“He is a high-level midfielder who can play in the three positions we use,” Motta said.
“He can score goals and provide the final pass, he has creativity, and he knows how to build up. He can do more defensively, like everyone else. He can cover three positions and have freedom in a context.”
Let’s see if by the end of the transfer window, Luiz is still competing for a place in Juventus’ midfield, or lining up in someone else’s.
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