Douglas Luiz hasn’t even started a game for Juventus yet, but he is already showcasing his worth after leaving Aston Villa.
It was a body blow for Unai Emery and Aston Villa when the Brazil international headed for the exit door this summer – It was an emotional goodbye from Luiz.
But Villa had to comply with Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), they needed to bring money in and Luiz was the one to exit.
The 26-year-old has played two matches from the bench since joining Juventus, with the newly-appointed Thiago Motta winning both games 3-0 and the team looking strong pretty early in the season.
During his time at Villa Park, Luiz demonstrated an outstanding ability to deal with the pressure when on the ball, dictate the tempo of the match, score goals and showcase unbelievable quality from dead-ball situations.
That’s why the Villa faithful won’t be surprised to hear that he is already wowing the public in Turin and toying with the opposition.
Boxed in by several Hellas Verona players, Luiz was being chased down as they tried to win the ball back from him.
But the quick-footed midfielder remained calm, didn’t even need his teammates and proceeded to dance around the opposition.
It was a prime example of Luiz being cool under pressure, the ability to be press resistant and it’s something Villa will miss dearly.
But now Juventus fans will get to see his magic in full flow and it won’t be too long before he is a regular starter under Motta.
Douglas Luiz’s performance off the bench
Samuel Iling-Junior and Enzo Barrenechea leave Aston Villa on loan
The two men who were part of the Luiz deal were winger Samuel Iling-Junior and midfielder Enzo Barrenechea.
Iling-Junior has returned to Italy on a loan deal and now Barrenechea will join him, which indicates that they aren’t ready for the Premier League.
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Someone like Iling-Junior is 20 and has a lot of competition ahead of him, so his loan exit shouldn’t be a surprise.
But Barrenechea’s expected exit will raise a few eyebrows, with the summer transfer window slamming shut on Friday and a few more deals needing to be concluded.
Villa want to sign Lutsharel Geertruida and the versatile Dutch star would fit in perfectly in the club’s backline.
