Juventus Transfer Market Update: Douglas Luiz Signing Confirmed
Douglas Luiz: A Potential New Signing for Juventus
Brazilian midfielder Douglas Luiz, currently playing for Aston Villa, could soon find himself as a Juventus player for the 2024-2025 season.
This potential transfer marks Juventus’ second move in the summer transfer market, following the acquisition of Di Gregorio from Monza.
The operation has been strongly desired by the new Juventus coach, Thiago Motta, who is looking to strengthen the team’s midfield with both brains and brawn.
Douglas Luiz possesses the qualities sought by Juventus, which became evident during the negotiations with Aston Villa.
The deal faced a potential roadblock due to a disagreement between Juventus and Weston McKennie, who was part of the negotiation, regarding a severance package of approximately 2 million euros requested by the American player.
Despite this hurdle, Juventus remained committed to completing the transfer.
The Deal Details
Initially, Juventus and Aston Villa had agreed on a deal involving three players.
Specifically, for Douglas Luiz, Juventus would have sent Weston McKennie and Samuel Iling Jr in addition to 18 million euros.
McKennie is valued at 25 million euros, while Iling Jr’s valuation is around 17 million euros.
The total evaluation for Douglas Luiz amounts to 60 million euros, slightly less than his Transfermarkt value.
However, negotiations hit a snag as Juventus and McKennie, who has a year remaining on his contract, failed to reach an agreement on the severance package.
McKennie has also attracted interest from Tottenham, complicating matters further.
After days of stalemate, Juventus and Aston Villa resumed talks to find an alternative solution.
The high valuations of Soulé and Huijsen were a sticking point for Juventus, leading to a deal centered around Enzo Barrenechea, an Argentine midfielder who spent the previous season on loan at Frosinone.
Expected Outcome
Renowned football transfer expert Fabrizio Romano revealed that the agreement would include a fixed sum plus bonuses, totaling 25 million euros.
The substitution of Barrenechea for McKennie is expected to generate a higher capital gain for Juventus as both players are products of the Juventus youth academy.
On the other hand, the agreement with Douglas Luiz progressed smoothly, with the Brazilian set to sign a four-year contract worth 5 million euros, inclusive of bonuses.
Official Confirmation and Future Moves
Leading transfer market pundits such as Fabrizio Romano, Gianluca Di Marzio, and Alfredo Pedullà believe that a significant portion of the deal between Aston Villa and Juventus has been agreed upon.
Official confirmation is anticipated within the week, or no later than June 30, to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations.
In the meantime, Juventus is also pursuing Alisha Lehmann, Douglas Luiz’s girlfriend, for the Juventus Women’s team.
This move represents not only a technical addition but also a strategic one, considering Lehmann’s significant social media following, making her one of the most followed female footballers globally with 16.6 million Instagram followers.
