Former Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz has clarified recent comments he made on the club, dismissing talk of a desire to return.
The 27-year-old joined us in 2019 and went on to make 204 appearances for Villa in a key period of progression for the club, as we established ourselves as a Premier League side and kicked on under Unai Emery.
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Having been an influential part of that, it was bitterly disappointing to see him leave last summer to join Juventus just as we were on the cusp of featuring in the Champions League and continuing to compete domestically, with our PSR issues a major factor in the decision to green light a departure.
Speculation had suggested that a contract offer was on the table for the Brazilian midfielder for some time prior to that, but ultimately the two sides opted to part ways at the end of last season, with Luiz’s time in Turin not going entirely to plan thus far after a tricky debut campaign in Serie A.
Speaking during a live stream on Twitch last week, Luiz spoke of how he missed Villa after such a memorable stint with the club, and naturally that snowballed into transfer talk suggesting that he was eager to return, if such a move was even possible this summer.
“I miss Villa, guys,” he told his followers. “I miss playing in Villa Park. I miss everything. Always in my heart.”
Having seen the response to his comments, the Brazilian international took to social media to clarify his words, as he dismissed suggestions that he was keen on a return to Villa, and explained that he was merely remembering a positive time in his career and he remains fully focused on Juventus.
“I spoke about Aston Villa as a happy place for me, I loved to be there and develop at that club but I never mentioned a return,” he wrote, as per Fabrizio Romano. “Don’t misunderstand me. I love Juventus and I’m fully focused on our targets.”
With Youri Tielemans shining in his absence, and the likes of Boubacar Kamara, Amadou Onana, Ross Barkley and others all providing Emery with significant competition for places in arguably the strongest department in our squad, the idea of re-signing Luiz was never a realistic one.
Nevertheless, it’s still nice to hear him think so fondly of the club after an important stage of his career was spent with us while he played a pivotal role in getting us to the level we’re at, but that’s all it remains for now as the transfer has ultimately suited us in addressing both our financial concerns and improving in midfield.
