Chelsea have reportedly missed out on signing Juventus outcast Douglas Luiz in the January transfer window after Aston Villa agreed a deal.
The Blues had considered taking the midfielder on loan for the rest of the season to add depth to their squad.
Luiz is currently on loan with Nottingham Forest, but that deal will be terminated after he made just five starts for the Tricky Trees this term.
Chelsea snubbed as Aston Villa win Juventus transfer battle
The Athletic report that the 27-year-old has “agreed” a move to Villa Park and the two clubs are “working to finalize the agreement”, which includes an option to buy.
BBC Sport claim that Luiz, who joined Juventus for £42.5m in June 2024, preferred a return to Villa over joining Chelsea.
Villa are in desperate need of midfield reinforcements following injuries to Youri Tielemans, John McGinn and Boubacar Kamara.
Tielemans will reportedly spend an “extended spell” on the sidelines with an ankle injury he picked up against Newcastle United at the weekend.
McGinn will spend the next six weeks on the treatment table, while Kamara has been ruled out for the rest of the campaign.
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