Douglas Luiz joined Juventus from Aston Villa this summer to end his five-year association with the Midlands club.
After the highs of the 2023/24 campaign, not many would have expected Unai Emery to part ways with two of his first-team regulars.
Moussa Diaby joined Al-Ittihad after just one year at Aston Villa, with Douglas Luiz also leaving to join Juventus.
The pair contributed to an impressive 39 goals between them over the 2023/24 calendar, telling of the task Emery now has to replace their prominence in the final third.
Douglas Luiz speaks out about leaving Aston Villa to join Juventus
The departure of Luiz was undoubtedly more of a concern than Diaby’s exit, as the midfielder had become a crucial part of Emery’s midfield.
The 26-year-old went from strength to strength during his time at Villa Park, ending his five-year association this summer with a move to Turin.
Speaking in a press conference this week, the Brazilian spoke out about making the move from the Premier League to Serie A, with comments that may surprise Villa fans.
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Luiz admitted that it ‘didn’t take much’ for his head to be turned from Villa.
“It didn’t take much to convince me because the greatness of this club speaks for itself,” Luiz said.
“Any player would have wanted to have this opportunity and I’m no different in this sense. As soon as I heard about Juventus I expressed my interest to my agents. And we worked so that everything went well.
“I think it’s a very important step in my career and I hope it’s also important for the club. I didn’t come here just to play but I want to continue to improve and help Juve reach their goals.”
Luiz comments on Villa exit will confuse many
A lot of Luiz’s exit concerned Villa’s PSR situation, as the club understood they would have to part ways with a key player to generate essential profit.
Seeing the midfielder leave the club as he neared his prime was painful, particularly when considering the journey Emery’s side is set to embark on in the season ahead.
Emery’s project is what makes Luiz’s comments on his transfer confusing, as the Villans finished fourth in the Premier League and qualified for the Champions League.
Similar progression cannot be said about Juventus, who before finishing third in Serie A last term, finished seventh in the Italian top flight in 2022/23.
Of course, the stamp that Thiago Motta intends to put on Juve could trigger improvement in Turin however, it can’t be said that moving from Villa to Juventus is an obvious step of progression at this moment in time.
Fans will be grateful for Luiz’s time at Villa Park and will hope to not miss the 26-year-old too much over the season ahead but, his recent admission will leave many bemused.
