Aston Villa tipped to battle Arsenal to re-sign £42m star midfielder in sensational January deal

Aston Villa are believed to be lining up a stunning January loan move for former fan favourite Douglas Luiz.

The Villans are in the market for further midfield reinforcements after a difficult winter period which has seen the team drop down to eighth in the table and four points behind the Champions League places.

Luiz was one of Villa’s standout performers last season with an impressive ten goals and as many assists from 53 appearances and he was a near ever present in Unai Emery’s team as they secured qualification for the Champions League for the first time since 1983.

The Brazil international is blessed with exceptional strength, bags of energy, exceptional composure on the ball and a wonderful ability to strike the ball powerfully from distance.

These qualities made him an asset at Villa Park throughout his five year stay, but the club were forced to reluctantly sell him for £42m in the summer due to PSR restrictions when Italian heavyweights Juventus came calling.

Could Douglas Luiz leave Juventus in January?

After joining Juventus, Luiz claimed he gelled quickly with his new manager and told the club website: “It feels as though Thiago Motta and I have known each other for a long time. I talk to him about tactics, different aspects of the game, and we already have a very good relationship.”

He also added that having Brazilian team-mates around him was key to his decision: “Every morning I woke up to them saying ‘Forza Juve’ and they told me all about the club. Having teammates with my national team who told me I could come here and make a difference definitely helped me to decide to join.”

However, Luiz has failed to live up to expectations in his first six months in Turin and has so far been limited to just nine appearances in the league, with seven of those coming from the subs bench.

Luiz has struggled with numerous muscle injuries throughout his time at the Allianz Stadium and according to reports from TBR Football’s chief correspondent Graeme Bailey has been told that he is available for transfer this month.

The outlet claims Villa are leading the charge to bring their former hero home but adds that Arsenal, who had multiple bids rejected for Luiz back in 2022 could also join the race.

Juventus' preference is to sell the midfielder in January and accrue some of the £42m that they paid back in the summer. However, the club understands that striking such a deal in January, particularly with PSR regulations, could be difficult at this time, adding that the Old Lady may be willing to compromise with a loan deal that includes an obligation to buy in the summer if certain requirements are reached.

Tottenham Hotspur, who have experienced an avalanche of injuries this season are believed to be keeping tabs on the situation but at this stage it appears Aston Villa are the front-runners.

Meanwhile, Villa are working hard to complete their first deals of the winter window, with the club making steady progress in signing both Borussia Dortmund star Donyell Malen and Celta Vigo’s Spain international Oscar Mingueza. The pair are likely to cost club a combined total of over £40m. Academy product Jaden Philogene could well be moved on to balance the books, with Everton currently leading the race to complete a £15m deal.