Why Douglas Luiz to Chelsea actually makes sense: Lavia, Essugo, Santos, Dyche… | OneFootball

Chelsea are considering a move for Nottingham Forest midfielder Douglas Luiz as they look to bolster midfield depth for the second half of the season, according to reports.

Liam Rosenior picked Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, Andrey Santos and Reggie Walsh in his squad for Wednesday’s Champions League win over Pafos, with natural right-back Reece James starting in defensive midfield.

The new Chelsea head coach is without Romeo Lavia due to a thigh injury, and the Belgian has struggled for fitness since moving to Stamford Bridge from Southampton in August 2023. Dario Essugo is another young midfielder currently sidelined.

Why do Chelsea want Douglas Luiz?

Rosenior would benefit from adding another body for the second half of the season as his side compete in the Champions League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup and Premier League.

Chelsea’s interest in Luiz immediately came as a surprise, but it does make sense.

According to The Athletic correspondent David Ornstein, Chelsea are ‘considering’ taking over Nottingham Forest’s loan of Luiz, whose parent club is Juventus.

Rosenior believes Luiz would be a ‘good fit’ as he would add ‘quality and depth’, even if he is not a regular starter for a Forest side currently sitting 17th in the Premier League.

Forest included an obligation to sign Luiz, conditional on appearances made, and hold an option to buy for €30million (£26.1m) if he does not reach that threshold.

Why Douglas Luiz to Chelsea makes sense

Considering he has played just 13 times in the Premier League this season – making only two starts since Sean Dyche replaced Ange Postecoglou in October – Forest would likely be happy for Chelsea to take him off their hands.

Some might immediately think the Blues should go nowhere near a player who cannot start for Forest, but plenty of supporters will not be swayed simply because Dyche does not rate him.

Luiz would need to improve to make a meaningful impact in west London, but if Chelsea get anything close to the Aston Villa version, it would be smart business.

The Brazilian would also add much-needed experience to a young squad. You cannot constantly point to Chelsea’s lack of experience and then turn your nose up at an experienced international.

Furthermore, Luiz would fit neatly into the South American contingent at Stamford Bridge, particularly in midfield.

He could assume a mentoring role for fellow Brazilian Andrey Santos, while competing with Argentine World Cup winner Fernandez and Ecuador international Caicedo.

The former Villa favourite would be a sensible short-term option for Chelsea, especially with Lavia and Essugo continually battling injuries.