West Ham United and Everton are in a battle to sign Juventus midfielder Douglas Luiz this summer, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport via Tuttojuve.
The Brazil international enjoyed a productive five-year stint in the West Midlands after arriving at Aston Villa from Manchester City in July 2019. During that time, he racked up 204 appearances in all competitions and delivered 46 goal contributions for the Villains.
He was also instrumental in Villa’s remarkable UEFA Champions League qualification—their first in 42 years—before making the switch to Serie A heavyweights Juventus the following season.
But his time in Turin has been underwhelming, having slipped down the pecking order under both Thiago Motta and Igor Tudor. A summer exit now looks likely, with a return to England increasingly on the cards.
Citing Gazzetta dello Sport, Tuttojuve claims that West Ham United and Everton have approached Juventus over the potential transfer of the 27-year-old this summer.
The Premier League duo, along with Nottingham Forest, are the ‘most interested’ in making a swoop to sign the Brazilian midfield ace in the ongoing transfer window, as per the report.
Battle
With next year’s World Cup in sight, the Italian outlet reports that Luiz is seeking to rejuvenate his career, and the Bianconeri are now open to his departure in a loan deal with an obligation to buy.
Luiz would be a solid acquisition for the Toffees, injecting the grit and bite they currently lack in midfield. Moyes is intent on guiding his team to a top-half finish next season, and landing a player of Luiz’s calibre would represent a significant step forward—provided they can trump West Ham to get a deal over the line.
As for the Hammers, after a poor stretch of results and lacklustre displays last season, the Hammers are crying out for a midfielder who can offer both tenacity in the engine room and the leadership to inspire a squad that often looked disjointed and uninspired.
With a loan option on the table and Juventus open to sanctioning his departure, Everton or West Ham may not need to meet his £26m Transfermarkt valuation—making a potential deal a bargain for either Premier League side this summer.
