Unai Emery’s Aston Villa have no intention of re-signing Juventus midfielder Douglas Luiz this summer.
Douglas Luiz will not return to Aston Villa permanently after the club ruled out triggering the £21.9 million purchase option in their loan agreement with Juventus, per Football Insider. The Serie A giants are now open to offers for the Brazilian midfielder, as they look to move him on this summer and end his disastrous stint in Turin.
Unai Emery attempted to reintegrate Luiz into his team during the loan spell in the second half of the 2025/26 season. However, the former Manchester City midfielder failed to establish himself as a regular. On the back of his consistent performances for Aston Villa, he moved to Juventus in the summer of 2024.
However, he failed to establish himself in their first team and ended up joining Nottingham Forest on loan at the start of the 2025/26 season. That loan move was cut short, and Emery brought the 28-year-old central midfielder back to Villa Park at the start of 2026 on a short loan.
Douglas Luiz will have to look for a new club
Luiz feature in a total of 14 games for Aston Villa during the second half of the 2025/26 season. While the 28-year-old had a prominent role and was used both as a central midfielder and a defensive midfielder, he failed to convince Villa to make the move permanent.
While Luiz is a technically gifted midfielder with exceptional passing range, press resistance, and tactical discipline, the loan move did not work out for both parties, and the West Midlands outfit do not feel he fits well into their long-term plans. As a result, they have ruled out a permanent return.
After Aston Villa’s decision came to light, Juventus have also determined his future. He is no longer part of their plans, and the Bianconeri are seeking to offload him on a permanent basis this summer.
Leeds United have been linked with Luiz in recent weeks, but two frustrating loan spells in the Premier League seem to have closed that door. As a result, Juventus continue to seek a buyer this summer to complete his departure in the coming weeks.
