Pedullà urges Juventus to keep Douglas Luiz despite Chelsea interest | OneFootball

Juventus loaned-out midfielder could join Chelsea before the end of the month, but Alfredo Pedullà gives the Bianconeri a reason to keep him.

The Brazilian enjoyed a sensational 2023/24 campaign at Aston Villa, scoring ten goals and providing as many assists.

His exploits in Birmingham earned him a €50 million transfer to Turin (including the values of Enzo Barrenechea and Samuel Iling-Junior), but he endured a torrid first campaign in Italy under Thiago Motta and Igor Tudor, blighted by injuries and unconvincing displays.

Therefore, Juventus agreed to send the player back to the Premier League. He signed for Nottingham Forest on loan with an option to buy that could turn into an obligation. However, the move hasn’t worked out, as Luiz has been lost in the shuffle at City Ground.

Chelsea close to sealing a move for Douglas Luiz

Despite his struggles over the last 18 months, Chelsea are interested in the 28-year-old, identifying him as a low-cost option who can add some depth to the middle of the park.

The Blues are reportedly negotiating a loan with an option to buy with Juventus, who are open to the move.

However, Pedullà argues that Juventus should consider keeping the midfielder, as he believes he could enjoy a revival a revival under Luciano Spalletti.

“Juventus are open to it. There have been contacts with Chelsea that confirmed the reports coming out of England,” reported the transfer market expert on his YouTube channel (via JuventusNews24).

“Juventus are considering a loan with an option to buy. There are also two other clubs interested — Juve are open to Chelsea and to the others.

“My idea remains the same: I’d like to see him for four months under Luciano Spalletti. I’d like to see this type of player — universally recognised as having great technical qualities — and how he would fit into a new environment with a coach who studies football in depth and knows how to get the maximum out of every player in his squad. Even if, in all likelihood, that won’t happen.”

Can Spalletti revitalise the career of Douglas Luiz

Throughout his illustrious career, Spalletti helped several underachieving players reach their full potential, especially technical midfielders like Stanislav Lobotka, Marcelo Brozovic and David Pizarro.

At the moment, Juve’s midfield department is lacking in terms of quality and depth. Hence, the manager could do with a new deep-lying playmaker, someone who possesses more refined technical attributes and a better vision than Manuel Locatelli.

Nevertheless, it remains unclear whether Luiz can perform this role, and, more importantly, whether he is in the right mental space to engineer a career revival.