Aston Villa have confirmed the return of Brazilian midfielder Douglas Luiz on loan from Juventus, ahead of the January transfer deadline. The deal shared by the club’s official X account brings Luiz back to Villa Park for the remainder of the 2025–26 season and includes an option to buy for €25 million, potentially rising to €28.5 million with performance-related add-ons.
SoftFootball previously reported that Luiz’s move ends a short, unfulfilling loan spell at Nottingham Forest, which was terminated by mutual consent. As shared by the club’s official X account, Luiz reunites with manager Unai Emery, under whom he enjoyed success during his first stint at the club from 2019 to 2024.
Aston Villa posted:
Welcome home, Dougie
Aston Villa is delighted to announce that Douglas Luiz has joined the club on loan from Juventus!
Villa’s intent to strengthen central midfield as they look to navigate injuries and maintain their competitive edge in the Premier League and European competitions. Villa are facing a midfield injury crisis, with Youri Tielemans sidelined for up to 10 weeks, Boubacar Kamara out for the season, and captain John McGinn expected to miss six to eight weeks.
Watch the video below:
Emery explained:
There are five days to finish the window. [Douglas] Luiz is a player joining us because of central midfield injuries.
The addition of Luiz provides valuable experience and depth during this challenging period as they hope to finish the Europa League phase strongly. Luiz first joined Villa in 2019, making 204 appearances, scoring 22 goals, and providing 24 assists, helping the club qualify for the UEFA Europa Conference League and Champions League.
His performances earned him a €50 million transfer to Juventus in June 2024, but he struggled to find form in Italy, failing to score or assist in 27 appearances. A subsequent loan to Nottingham Forest also fell short, with limited starts in 14 appearances.
Despite interest from Chelsea and clubs in La Liga, Luiz chose to return to Villa, citing emotional ties and his fondness for the club.
He said:
I miss Villa guys, I miss to play in Villa Park, I miss everything… always in my heart.
This personal connection highlights his loyalty and underscores Villa’s ambition in the transfer market.
