A surprise name has emerged on Unai Emery’s transfer shortlist as he scrambles to solve a key problem in his Aston Villa midfield.
Villa’s superb start to the campaign has slightly tailed off in recent weeks, with the Villans not scoring in the league since beating Nottingham Forest in early January.
They still remain seven points off the top of the table and are eight clear in the race for a guaranteed Champions League place for next season.
With their red-hot form in mind, Emery has acted in the transfer market to help solidify their place in the table by bringing in forwards Alysson and Brian Madjo, though Donyell Malen has departed to balance the books.
But following the season-ending injury to Boubacar Kamara, the Spaniard may be forced into action once again – bringing about the prospect of an intriguing Villa return.
Douglas Luiz mentioned amid Aston Villa search for Kamara replacement
According to The Telegraph’s John Percy, Aston Villa are keen to explore the market in the wake of Kamara’s latest injury, which occurred in the recent FA Cup win over Spurs.
As a result, Ruben Loftus-Cheek has become something of a frontrunner to join the Europa League chasers, but a more familiar name was also put forward as “another option” as Villa assess their options.
Douglas Luiz starred for Villa under Emery before being sold as the club avoided PSR repercussions ahead of the 2024/25 season.
While Villa excelled without him, reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League and securing another year in European competition, the move hasn’t exactly worked out for the Brazilian.
Since joining Juventus 18 months ago, Douglas Luiz has suffered from injuries, and only started three Serie A games for the Old Lady before moving on temporarily in the summer.
He made a return to the Premier League following a loan deal to Midlands rivals Nottingham Forest, only for fitness issues to re-emerge and game time to continue at a premium.
To make matters worse, his goal threat has almost completely evaporated, with the 27-year-old recording zero goals and one assist in all competitions since leaving Villa for £42.35m in June 2024.
If he could get some consistency back when it comes to staying fit, a return to where he was playing his best football would seem like the perfect medicine for Douglas Luiz.
However, with Villa’s links to Loftus-Cheek looking more prevalent at present, their former midfielder is looking more like a last resort.
That said, it could be a deal still worth pursuing if they are unable to coax the former Chelsea ace to Villa Park, where Douglas Luiz would surely take less time settling in, and maybe even getting back to his best.
With Kamara out for the foreseeable future, Emery would surely be wise to keep this option up his sleeve until the window shuts.
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