Romano confirms Chelsea, Villa interest in Forest midfielder who ‘can leave’ in January
Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Chelsea are interested in signing Nottingham Forest midfielder Douglas Luiz, but face competition from a Premier League rival.
Luiz is on loan at Forest from Italian giants Juventus but has only started twice in the Premier League under Sean Dyche, sparking rumours of another loan move in the January transfer window.
Douglas Luiz loan: Why Chelsea and Villa are interested
- Chelsea interested as Lavia and Essugo still injured
- Aston Villa also express interest after Kamara, McGinn injuries
- Nottingham Forest have an option to buy for £26m and an obligation if appearance clauses are met
- Forest can terminate Luiz’s loan to allow him to join another club from Juventus
The Brazilian was a standout Premier League midfielder during his time at Aston Villa but struggled to make an impact at Juventus.
After a single season in Turin, Luiz returned to England on loan at Forest, where he has also struggled to make an impression this season.
Despite his ordinary performances in 2025/26, Luiz is attracting interest from Chelsea as Liam Rosenior looks to bolster midfield depth due to Romeo Lavia and Dario Essugo’s ongoing fitness issues.
Rosenior’s current defensive-midfield options are Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo and Andrey Santos, while right-back Reece James has frequently filled in at the position.
Considering Luiz hasn’t been able to start for a team 17th in the Premier League, Chelsea signing him might seem questionable. However, they need bodies, experience, and if they get the Aston Villa version of Luiz, they could be loaning in a very good player.
It doesn’t look like it will be a straightforward deal for the Blues, as his former club Aston Villa are reportedly interested as well.
Romano: Chelsea and Villa both want Douglas Luiz
According to Fabrizio Romano, both Chelsea and Villa are ‘considering’ signing Luiz on loan.
Their interest is ‘genuine’, as Forest ‘can let Luiz leave’, Romano adds.
“Chelsea and Aston Villa are both considering a loan move for Douglas Luiz this window. Genuine interest as #NFFC can let Luiz leave, go back to Juventus and join new club on loan. Chelsea see him as option for depth in midfield, as @TheAthleticFC reported.”
Why Aston Villa need a new midfielder amid Luiz interest
Chelsea want Luiz to compete with Santos and provide cover for Caicedo and Fernandez, but he could also play a key role in the rest of Villa’s season.
Boubacar Kamara is expected to miss the rest of 2025/26 with a knee injury, while John McGinn is also sidelined with a knee problem.
Unai Emery’s side attempted to sign Conor Gallagher from Atletico Madrid, only for the deal to be hijacked by Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
They have also been linked with former Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who could leave AC Milan this month, highlighting Emery’s clear transfer priorities.
Luiz could slot straight in at Villa as a player most of Emery’s squad know well and someone the Spanish head coach managed for a season and a half.
Amadou Onana remains a solid option to replace Kamara in the starting XI for now, but he has also struggled with fitness this season.
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