Nottingham Forest agree deal to sign Douglas Luiz from Juventus | OneFootball

Nottingham Forest have reached an agreement with Juventus to sign Brazilian midfielder Douglas Luiz on loan with an obligation to buy.

The 27-year-old will move to the City Ground initially on loan, with the obligation triggered if he plays a set number of matches.

Forest also retain the option to complete a permanent deal for a fee of around €30 million if the appearance threshold is not met.

The move marks a swift turnaround for Luiz, who only joined Juventus from Aston Villa last summer in a €50 million transfer designed to ease Villa’s financial pressures under Premier League sustainability rules.

Luiz struggled to establish himself in Turin, making 27 appearances in all competitions but starting just six matches.

Only three of those starts came in Serie A, leaving the midfielder frustrated with his lack of opportunities under successive managers.

Juventus had been open to moving him on throughout the summer, with the club eager to avoid recording a financial loss on his sale.

The deal with Forest was unlocked following a direct phone call between owner Evangelos Marinakis and Juventus general manager Damien Comolli on Monday night.

That conversation broke the deadlock in talks after Juventus had initially sought a fee closer to €40 million.

Luiz had been trialled in a more advanced midfield role by new Juve head coach Igor Tudor during pre-season.

He scored in a friendly when deployed closer to the striker but reports in Italy claimed his chances of staying were never serious.

Manchester City had also expressed interest in January over a potential loan move but were unable to strike an agreement with Juventus.

Forest have been among the Premier League’s busiest clubs in the window, with Luiz set to become their latest addition.

Deals for Omari Hutchinson, James McAtee and Arnaud Kalimuendo were finalised last week, adding to the earlier club-record signing of Dan Ndoye from Bologna.

Rico Lewis of Manchester City remains a target, while Jair Cunha and Igor Jesus have already arrived from Botafogo.

Goalkeeper Angus Gunn has also joined on a free transfer as part of Forest’s rebuilding process.

The signing of Luiz is seen as a major coup for Forest, who have added both depth and experience to their midfield options.

Barring late complications, the Brazil international is expected to complete the switch in the coming days.