‘Rejects Everton’ – Toffees See Approach Knocked Back By Player | OneFootball

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Everton have suffered a setback in their pursuit of Douglas Luiz after the midfielder said no to the Toffees, with the Brazilian ‘increasingly convinced’ about remaining in Turin next season.

David Moyes’ side have recently strengthened the engine room with the arrival of Christian Norgaard from Arsenal.

They have splashed out £7m to land the former Brentford man, which has been hailed as a shrewd signing.

The Merseyside outfit have also landed Hayden Hackney from Middlesbrough earlier this summer, while converting Merlin Rohl’s loan spell into a permanent deal to add further depth in midfield.

Luiz was another midfielder under consideration as Everton continued exploring options to reinforce the centre of the park at Hill Dickinson.

The Brazilian spent the first half of last season on loan at Nottingham Forest before returning to Turin in January after failing to establish himself at the City Ground.

During the second half of the campaign, the midfielder reunited with Aston Villa, where he had previously enjoyed the finest spell of his career.

The Villans held a €25m option to make the move permanent but ultimately opted against activating the clause after deciding the valuation represented too great a commitment.

As a result, Luiz once again returned to Italy, before Everton made an enquiry for the Brazilian last month to establish whether Juventus would be prepared to entertain his departure.

Although Luiz struggled to make an impression during his previous spell, he has enjoyed an encouraging pre-season with the Old Lady, starting every match so far while ‘enjoying a new lease of life’.

As a result, Luiz’s ‘intention is to seek redemption in Turin’, with the midfielder having ‘rejected Everton’ after an approach from the Toffees, according to Italian daily Gazzetta dello Sport.

Juventus are yet to reach a definitive decision over the Brazilian’s future, although current indications point towards the two parties continuing together into the new campaign.

That development will come as a disappointment for Everton, who had identified Luiz as another option to strengthen their midfield, although it remains to be seen whether they will revisit their interest.

Juventus invested heavily to sign Luiz in 2024 and would welcome a revival from the Brazilian should he rediscover his best form in Turin next season.

Meanwhile, it is not yet clear whether Everton will turn their attention to an alternative midfield target.