Chelsea are formulating a loan approach for Douglas Luiz, with the Juventus midfielder likely to cut short his stay at Nottingham Forest should a move materialise.
According to David Ornstein of The Athletic, Douglas Luiz is a loan target for Chelsea this month for the remainder of the season. Should a move materialise, the Brazilian international may cut short his loan spell at Nottingham Forest to make the move to London, as talks with Juventus could be ongoing.
Chelsea feels the need to reinforce the midfield area to add depth ahead of their challenges across four competitions. The Blues are battling for a top-four place, as well as looking to progress deep in the Champions League and the FA Cup.
Chelsea have Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez as their main starters in the central areas, while Reece James is also being used as a big option in games. They also have Andrey Santos as backup, but the main concern with depth stems from the injury issues to Romeo Lavia and Dario Essugo. The duo have barely featured, as Liam Rosenior wants quality options in the positions.
There’s talk of a potential loan approach for Douglas Luiz, who is currently struggling for game time at Nottingham Forest. The Brazilian international would also seek consistent minutes to have the chance to represent his nation at the World Cup later in the summer.
Chelsea are ready to approach Juventus over a loan move, which will depend on the mechanics of cancelling his spell with Forest. The latter do have a conditional buy obligation depending on the number of games the 27-year-old Brazilian international plays this season, but they also have a separate €30 million option if he does not meet the criteria. At the moment, Forest may concede his departure given the limitations under Sean Dyche.
Is Douglas Luiz a long-term option for Chelsea?
At the moment, Luiz is not seen as a long-term option for Chelsea in the midfield department, where Caicedo and Fernandez are considered the mainstays. However, there have been rumblings in the market about a new face ahead of next summer, with the likes of Joao Neves from PSG a target.
Other names like Arda Guler have been mentioned, while Chelsea are also admirers of Adam Wharton, with an approach likely on the cards for the latter in the summer. For now, they may feel that Luiz could add to their squad, given his vast experience in the Premier League and also has an international pedigree to help the Blues across all fronts in the time remaining in the season.