Chelsea Transfer Rumors: Blues Handed Blow As $30 Million Target Agrees To Join Premier League Rivals

Chelsea have started their new era under new head coach Liam Rosenior on a positive note so far, winning four of their five outings. However, they have recently been dealt a big blow, with a Premier League rival reportedly set to sign one of their transfer targets.

Chelsea Set To Miss Out on Midfield Target

According to reputed journalist Ben Jacobs, Chelsea target Douglas Luiz has agreed to a short-term loan move to Aston Villa in the ongoing winter transfer window. He is likely to return to Juventus from Nottingham Forest this week to finalise his Aston Villa switch.

Luiz, 27, has struggled to establish himself as a vital starter at Nottingham Forest since his temporary move from Juventus last August. He has made just 14 total appearances for the Sean Dyche-coached outfit this season and is likely to have his loan cut short soon.

Should the former Aston Villa midfielder secure a loan move back to the Villans this month, he could prove to be a fine signing. He would comparatively start more games as Boubacar Kamara, Youri Tielemans, and Ross Barkley are all currently out injured.

Luiz, who is valued at $30 million by Transfermarkt, previously spent five seasons at Aston Villa from 2019 to 2024 after arriving from Manchester City. He registered 22 goals and 25 assists in 204 overall appearances during his first stint at Unai Emery’s side.

Meanwhile, Chelsea are interested in signing Luiz on a temporary basis from Juventus, with Romeo Lavia and Dario Essugo unavailable for selection due to respective injuries. They have Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, and Andrey Santos as three fit midfield options.

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On the other hand, Blues head coach Rosenior has asserted that he will try his best to help highly promising Brazilian winger Estevao feel protected at the Stamford Bridge club.

“Off the pitch, I know his family are here with him. I know the club have worked really hard for him to settle in. I also know Andrey Santos and Joao Pedro have helped him especially settle into this country,” the former RC Strasbourg manager commented.

“On the pitch, with an 18-year-old with a talent like his… you have to manage his minutes. You have to (pick) the right moments for him to have an impact and I’ll keep doing that as I want him to have an outstanding season, an outstanding career,” Rosenior added.

So far, Estevao has scored 6 goals and recorded 3 assists in 28 total matches for Chelsea.