- Exclusive by Graeme Bailey
Aston Villa have been quite busy on the transfer front in the past few days amid talks that could see two players leave the club and two others join.
The Villans enjoyed an amazing season last term as Unai Emery steered them into the top four to secure Champions League qualification.
Although Villa must bolster their ranks to ensure they can cope with the additional workload, profit and sustainability rules mean they must also look to balance their books.
Now, it looks as though the Villans are close to completing one of those deals.
TBR Football understands that Douglas Luiz’s impending move to Juventus is close to being finalised.
Luiz is set to join Juventus in a deal worth in excess of £50million – as Villa will be receiving around £20million cash but also US international midfielder Weston McKennie and English winger Samuel Illing-Junior.
Juventus are gearing up to travel to the United States, where Luiz is with Brazil’s squad for the Copa America, to put the player through his .medical and finalise paperwork
TBR Football can also confirm that Luiz’s deal has seen talks between Villa and Juve take place over the future of Alisha Lehmann.
Swiss international Lehmann, Luiz’s partner, is being discussed as an option for Juve Women and there is a chance of possible deal that would see her move with Luiz.
Aston Villa set to bid farewell to Douglas Luiz
It’s certainly a shame to see Villa cash in on the “outstanding” Luiz, who has been a mainstay of their squad and has really gone from strength to strength at B6.
However, with profit and sustainability rules in place, this deal will see the Villans ease the pressure on their finances ahead of the 30 June deadline.
In addition, Villa will also get two top talents in McKennie and Iling-Junior, which will go a long way towards bolstering their squad for next season.
Let’s see what happens with regards to Jhon Duran’s future in the coming weeks. He has been linked with a move to Chelsea.