Everton raise Douglas Luiz bid as Juventus clarify exactly how deal can be done

Everton are preparing to increase their offer for Juventus midfielder Douglas Luiz as they push to secure the Brazilian as a key part of their midfield rebuild, TEAMtalk can reveal.

Luiz has a chance to come back to the Premier League this summer a year after leaving Aston Villa for Juventus, where he has made 27 appearances and failed to register a goal or assist. Everton enquired about the 27-year-old earlier this month, as we confirmed, and recently submitted their opening bid.

Now, Everton have moved from their initial €30m (£26m) proposal to a new package worth around €35m (£30.3m), including bonuses.

Juventus, however, would prefer the €35m to be fixed, rather than bonus-based. The Bianconeri are confident of obtaining a higher amount, leveraging on the growing interest from other clubs, including West Ham, who have recently made contact to inquire about Luiz’s situation.

Despite this, Luiz has given priority to Everton, as he considers their sporting project more in line with his ambitions. This gives the Toffees a clear advantage in the race, even though the deal still needs some steps before an agreement is reached.

Everton remain in a strong position, with positive discussions ongoing. Juventus are open to a paid loan with an obligation to buy, and negotiations are now focused on reaching the right amount and structure for both sides.

Luiz, eager to return to the Premier League, may soon find his new home and Everton are currently leading the race.

Their midfield is undergoing some transformation this summer after Abdoulaye Doucoure was released at the end of his contract. They have retained Carlos Alcaraz on a permanent basis after his loan from Flamengo and tied Idrissa Gana Gueye down to a new deal, but more work is due to strengthen the department.

The other options in Everton’s current midfield include James Garner, Tim Iroegbunam and Harrison Armstrong, who was on loan at Derby County over the second half of last season.

Everton transfer news: More battles with West Ham

Luiz isn’t the only player in the crosshairs of both Everton and West Ham. According to recent reports, the Hammers have made an enquiry for Manchester City attacking midfielder Jack Grealish, who is also on the Toffees’ radar.

The financial background of the deal is the main obstacle to both clubs, with the terms on which Everton would be in the race being clarified.

Meanwhile, TEAMtalk’s Darren Witcoop has revealed that David Moyes has enquired about a reunion with one of his former West Ham stalwarts.

Douglas Luiz at Juventus: What’s gone wrong?

By Samuel Bannister

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 both spent their first season as Villa players out on loan, and Luiz’s Juventus future quickly went into doubt too.

After a slow integration, Luiz only started three Serie A matches for Juventus in 2024-25, although he was injured for 13 of the ones he missed. His last start was all the way back in January.

In October, within the space of five days, Luiz gave away penalties in consecutive games against RB Leipzig in the Champions League and Cagliari in Serie A.

His first Juventus boss Thiago Motta 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 never adapted to Motta’s tactics at Juventus. He wasn’t alone, with fellow midfield signing – and the only addition more expensive than him in the summer – Teun Koopmeiners also failing to convince.

Luiz was not given as much freedom as he had at Aston Villa, where everything ran through him. Suddenly, he had more of a specific role to fulfil and more rigorous instructions, which he didn’t get completely up to speed with.

In January, 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.”

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 struggled to reach high standards as a team last season anyway.

Motta was sacked in March and replaced with Igor Tudor, who will continue as Juventus’ head coach in the new season but has never picked Luiz as a starter.

Before taking the Juventus job, Tudor stuck up for Luiz, claiming as an observer that even Michel Platini took time to settle at Juventus.

However, Luiz has struggled to make up for lost time since they’ve been working together and faces an uncertain future this summer.