Douglas Luiz transfer: Cash-plus-players deal discussed as Aston Villa weigh PSR rise

A transfer storm surrounding Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz is brewing. The Brazilian midfielder has plenty of suitors and Villa could be tempted to cash in.

Luiz, 26, has enjoyed an outstanding season in the Premier League for Villa, who have qualified for the Champions League. The midfielder managed nine goals and five assists in his 35 league appearances, building on his six goals and six assists in the previous campaign.

Unai Emery has brought the best out of Luiz in a deep-lying midfield role, giving him the freedom to join the attacks. But his form for Villa and Brazil, with whom he has now amassed 15 caps, has attracted attention from elsewhere.

Luiz is the subject of intense transfer speculation. Here’s how the ground stands in terms of his future at Villa Park…

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Who is interested?

Arsenal have a long-term interest in Luiz and tried to sign him two years ago before the midfielder committed his future to Villa by signing a new contract. The Gunners are set to offload Thomas Partey this summer and need a new midfielder to compete with Declan Rice and Jorginho for a starting spot.

AC Milan have also been linked with Luiz and according to Tuttosport, the midfielder’s name came up in talks about right-back Matty Cash a few weeks ago. However, Juventus appear to be leading the race and a cash-plus-players deal has been mooted.

According to the latest reports from Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness ), Juve are ready to offer Villa €30m plus England Under-21 full-back Samuel Iling-Junior and Argentina midfielder Enzo Barrenechea in exchange for Luiz. Iling-Junior is apparently valued at €12m, with Barrenechea making up the other €8m for the €50m that Villa have reportedly asked for.

Why Villa could be forced to sell

Villas are said to be in a difficult situation with the Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) at the moment. It is understood the club must make up a deficit before June 30 or face breaking the rules and becoming the latest Premier League team to receive a penalty.

Premier League clubs are allowed a maximum of £105m of losses over three years and Villa were nearly £120m in the red in 2023. Reports from various outlets claimed that Villa must sell at least one player, and Luiz is one of their best-selling assets.

However, Reach Business of Football writer Dave Powell says Villa don’t have to sell anyone they don’t want and they won’t “rip off the canvas”. Villa signed Luiz for £15m from Manchester City in 2019 shortly after they returned to the Premier League and will make a sizeable profit.

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How much does Vila want?

It is claimed that Villa want £50m for Luiz before June 30. That would give Villa a £35m profit on the fee they paid for Luiz. Money could be reinvested from July on the likes of Conor Gallagher, with Villa among those interested in the £50million England international.

What Luiz said

As you’d expect, Luiz was quite coy about speculation about his future when asked about it in media interviews. It’s nothing new for the Brazilian, who has been linked with a move away from Villa practically since he joined the club.

“I’m very happy to hear the stories, but I’m here at Aston Villa,” he told Sky Sports midway through last season. “My focus is totally here. I don’t spend a lot of time looking at the stories. I see them, but I don’t focus on it and I don’t look at it every day. My head is here at Aston Villa. It’s a club that I- he opened the doors when I came to England, so I have a lot of affection and a lot of love for him.

“I’ve been here for five years, so I have a big responsibility in our team now. I’m one of our captains and that motivates me a lot. I know the player I am and I know the player I can become.”

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