Aston Villa and Juventus are reportedly continuing talks over a cash plus player swap deal which would see Douglas Luiz move to Turin.
It’s been widely reported for weeks now that Villa are currently hindered by our PSR position, and subsequently we may well have to sell before the end of June in order to give ourselves more financial flexibility to bring in reinforcements later this summer.
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While various names have been paired with an exit over the past month, Luiz has seemingly emerged as the most likely player to be sacrificed over the past few days, and talks are said to be continuing with Juventus.
According to Fabrizio Romano, in exchange for the Brazilian midfielder, Villa could receive cash, Weston McKennie and Samuel Iling Jr, with the latter said to be keen on joining us.
Given Luiz’s importance and influence in the side, losing the 26-year-old would be a huge blow, particularly after his best season for us yet last year in which he scored 10 goals and provided 10 assists in 53 appearances across all competitions.
Having established himself as a key figure under Unai Emery, losing him will leave us with a major void that must be filled before the end of the transfer window, but this touted possible agreement with Juventus could be an important sacrifice to help us build a stronger group.
It’s unclear how much cash would be involved in the deal at this stage, but it’s hopefully a significant amount to help ease our PSR concerns, while the mechanics of this swap deal would also make an important impact financially, hence why Villa are open to the terms.
McKennie, 25, provided 10 assists in 38 games last season for the Turin giants, while he has 52 caps for the USA to his name and so should bring experience and quality to the squad, if he does indeed arrive.
As for Iling Jr, the talented 20-year-old featured 27 times for Juve last season, scoring one and providing two assists as he showed promising signs on the left side of midfield.
With Villa looking to compete on multiple fronts next season and beyond, it will add depth and competition to the squad in two key areas, but it’s undoubtedly hoped that if we do ultimately lose Luiz as part of the deal, we act to replace him this summer with a player capable of having a bigger influence on our ability to dictate tempo and control possession in games on a consistent basis.
Pundits seem to be ignoring the arrival of Ross Barclay in their analyses. To what extent could he replace Luiz if he plays in the deeper role he did at Luton?