Aston Villa fans were upset when Douglas Luiz was sold to Juventus in the summer.
The 26-year-old had just played a starring role for Unai Emery as Aston Villa qualified for the Champions League, scoring nine and assisting five in the Premier League.
Luiz was a midfield destroyer when Emery arrived, but he transformed the Brazilian into an all-action midfielder, rising to prominence as one of Europe’s finest.
In an ideal world, the former Manchester City man would have been part of Villa’s European assault, however, his sale meant that the Villans didn’t breach PSR in the summer.
Now, Emery is preparing his side for a clash against Juventus in the Champions League, and while Luiz is one of eight players injured for the match, speculation surrounding his future has since emerged.
Monchi wants Douglas Luiz to return to Aston Villa
Since moving to the Italian giants, the talented midfielder has struggled to nail down a spot in the starting XI.
The Brazil international has played just 312 minutes in all competitions and for the last seven games, he’s been sidelined through injury.
As such, his lack of involvement has led to speculation surrounding his future and a potential return to Villa Park next year.
Emery instantly shut down claims that Villa wanted to re-sign Luiz in Tuesday’s pre-match press conference while president of football operations Monchi is open to the idea.
Speaking to Gazzetta Dello Sport, as relayed by Sport Witness, Monchi would welcome Luiz back to the club with open arms, dubbing him a ‘very strong’ player.
“He’s a playmaker. Every ball that comes out of his feet makes sense. After his farewell we invested well, but I would always take Douglas back, for any club. He’s very strong,” Monchi said.
“He’s playing less than we would have expected, but we’re talking about a very strong player.
“Some players make their mark straight away, others need time. You need patience, but Douglas’ qualities are beyond discussion. Last year he played 90% of our games and was decisive.”
There’s no doubt that Villa have missed the Brazilian’s presence, as while Youri Tielemans has stepped up since Luiz’s departure, his quality is irreplaceable and he isn’t the only one missed by Emery.
Aston Villa also miss Moussa Diaby
Luiz was a midfield lynchpin alongside ball-winning machine Boubacar Kamara, and the pair complemented each other perfectly.
Developing an unbreakable bond in the engine room, Emery has now experienced the difficulties of replacing Luiz, along with record-signing Moussa Diaby.
Last season, the French winger was criticised by some sections of the fanbase for his inconsistency but he still produced 19 goal involvements in all competitions.
Now Diaby is ripping it up at Al-Ittihad after penning a lucrative move to Saudi Arabia in the summer while Villa have struggled for output in wide areas.
| Aston Villa winger Premier League stats 2024/25 | Games | Goals | Assists |
| Leon Bailey | 11 | 0 | 2 |
| Jacob Ramsey | 10 | 0 | 2 |
| Jaden Philogene | 8 | 0 | 0 |
Between Jaden Philogene, Jacob Ramsey and Leon Bailey, the trio are yet to score and have only supplied four assists this term, evincing how important Diaby was to the starting XI.
