One of Juventus’ biggest transfer disappointments of the past decade has officially left the building.
And he’s getting his desired move back to the Premier League.
How nice of Juventus to grant him such a thing after everything they did — albeit with a previous management team and coaching staff — to accommodate his move to Turin, right?
Juventus announced Thursday night that Douglas Luiz has officially completed his move back to England following all of one incredibly unimpressive and totally ineffective
and frustrating season with the Bianconeri. The move will see the 27-year-old Brazilian move to Forest on loan for the 2025-26 season with an obligation to buy worth €25 million and another €3.5 million in bonuses. The total package, if everything is met, will see Juventus get €31.5 million — which will be more than the €30 million that new general manager Damien Comolli was reportedly demanding this summer for the want-away midfielder.
Here are the official details of the deal, courtesy of Juventus’ press office:
Turin, 21 August 2025 – Juventus Football Club S.p.A. announces that an agreement with Nottingham Forest FC for the temporary disposal, until 30 June 2026, of the registration rights of the player Douglas Luiz Soares de Paulo has been reached for a consideration of € 3 million.
The agreement further entails the obligation for Nottingham Forest to acquire the player’s registration rights on a permanent basis upon the occurrence of certain conditions during the 2025/2026 football season. The agreed fee for the potential definitive disposal is € 25 million, payable over four financial years; this amount may be increased, during the term of the player’s employment contract, by up to € 3.5 million upon the achievement of specific sporting objectives.
There you have it, folks. Juventus’ big swing on Douglas Luiz is now over after all of about 14 months of him being employed by the club. He’s gone. The manager who wanted him so soon into last summer’s mercato was dismissed back in March. The guy who actually signed him left after the 2024-25 season, one where Luiz was one of the many big-money signings that completely bombed.
Juventus tried everything they could to make Luiz’s assimilation to Italian football a smooth one. He was one of the star signings last summer. In an attempt to keep him happy on and off the field, they signed his then-girlfriend, Alisha Lehmann, to be part of the Juventus Women roster. (She didn’t play much at all but she was popular amongst her teammates and ended up winning a couple of trophies.) Juventus’ management were patient with him and his physical problems that forced him to miss time early. They gave him opportunities, albeit usually off the bench, when he was available.
But, the proof was in the final output: Douglas Luiz appeared in 27 total games for Juventus. He didn’t record a single goal or assist and only started a grand total of six games.
The only time he found the back of the net was in his final (unofficial) appearance as a Juve player when he scored against the Next Gen squad in the annual family match at the Allianz Stadium.
Juventus tried to make it work. It didn’t. And now Luiz is heading back to the Premier League and trying to get his career going again for a club that will be playing in the Europa League this season. It didn’t prove to be a good fit, and many have already wondered if it ever was at Juventus — which is totally fair to assume at this point.
