Juventus have come to an agreement with Aston Villa for the transfer of Douglas Luiz. The 23-year-old midfielder will be joining Juventus, while Enzo Barrenechea and Samuel Iling-Junior will be moving in the opposite direction to Aston Villa. The deal is reported to be around 50m euros for Luiz, with Juventus receiving 22m euros for the two players going to Villa, plus an additional 3m euros in bonuses.
Initially, Weston McKennie was part of the deal, but issues surrounding his wages made it impossible to finalize an agreement. Barrenechea had been on loan at Frosinone last season and has featured in five matches for Juventus, while Iling-Junior, who came through Chelsea’s academy, played 27 times for Juventus last season. Alisha Lehmann, a Switzerland striker from Aston Villa Women, will also be moving to Juventus as part of the deal.
Aston Villa is expected to sell players this summer to meet profit and sustainability rules after reporting a loss of £119m. They have already sold Tim Iroegbunam to Everton for £9m, and Chelsea is close to signing Omari Kellyman for £19m. Despite finishing fourth last season and qualifying for the Champions League, Villa will need to comply with the PSR rules, which they had previously voted against when they were introduced in 2015-16.
The transfer of Luiz is a major boost for Juventus as they look forward to competing in Europe next season. He has proven himself as a talented midfielder with great potential and could help fill a gap left by Sami Khedira’s departure.
Luiz’s move from Aston Villa has been met with mixed reactions on social media, with some fans expressing disappointment that he won’t be playing at home next season.
However, it’s important for Aston Villa to focus on their own goals of meeting profitability targets and achieving long-term sustainability.
Overall, this transfer looks like a smart move for both teams and we can expect more activity in the market as clubs continue to make moves ahead of next season.