Aston Villa are reportedly in talks with Juventus over Douglas Luiz, but a player-exchange deal is the only likely way an agreement is reached.
Luiz, 26, has established himself as a fundamental player for Villa in recent years, and has taken his game to the next level under Unai Emery since he was appointed in October 2022.
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The Brazilian international contributed 10 goals and 10 assists in 53 appearances across all competitions last season, and he was a huge influence in the heart of the side with his ability to dictate and control proceedings in midfield.
However, speculation has been rife in recent weeks over his future at Villa, and Fabrizio Romano has now reported that Villa are in talks with Juventus over Luiz, but the only way a deal will be reached is if the Turin giants include players to move in the opposite direction, with both Weston McKennie and Samuel Iling Jr both specifically mentioned as potential options.
Matteo Moretto adds that there would of course be a fee paid by Juve as a base to the deal, while it remains to be seen if the Turin giants are able to satisfy demands from Luiz with regards to his personal terms.
It comes amid ongoing talk of Villa’s possible need to make a big sale this month in order to stay within the parameters of PSR, and while others have been paired with a move away this summer too, Luiz has emerged as the most talked about potential option over the past week.
Much will likely depend on how much Juve are willing to part with in cash and if they will offer players Villa are keen to see move our way, and so it promises to be an interesting period now as touted talks between the two clubs continue.
Iling Jr, 20, is an England U21s international, who scored one goal and provided two assists in 24 Serie A appearances last season to go with his defensive contribution as a left-sided midfielder. McKennie, 25, has a wealth of experience at club and international level, with the USA midfielder providing 10 assists in 38 outings last season.
Should they be the players identified by Villa as ones of interest, then it will be with the idea that they fit into Emery’s style and structure to be effective options for him moving forward, and so time will tell if they form a key component in negotiations.
As for Luiz, while it would certainly be a blow to lose him given his quality and influence in the side, it may be a necessary sacrifice for Villa from a financial perspective, and ultimately it could be argued that that profile of player is more easily replaced with an option that is suitable for Emery than losing other high-value players in the current squad.
Given McKennie doesn’t fill that void and is arguably strong depth at best, perhaps the fee from Juve will go towards reinforcing our midfield further with another important option.
