While there have been plenty of players who wouldn’t normally start for Juventus’ senior team as a result of Luciano Spalletti’s squad being both short-handed and still completely full of holes, there’s been one name who has basically assumed a spot in the lineup that we thought he would two years and two managers ago.
Brazilian midfielder Douglas Luiz has started all three of Juventus’ friendlies so far this summer. In those three friendlies, he has shown flashes of the player we all thought he could
be when former sporting chief Cristiano Giuntoli made him one of his first signings of the 2024 summer mercato. Luiz was supposed to be the centerpiece of Thiago Motta’s midfield, but between fitness issues galore and just never completely gaining Motta’s trust, the Brazilian midfielder never came close to approaching the form he had at Aston Villa.
But guess who’s back?
Yes, it’s Douglas Luiz. who may or may not be in Spalletti’s plans for the upcoming season.
It’s quite the interesting thing considering the last time we saw him in bianconero he was struggling mightily. However, after Juventus’ 2-0 friendly win over Nice on Friday, Luiz had this to say …
After a 2025-26 season in which he went on loan to two Premier League clubs — including a return to Aston Villa that didn’t go all that well — Luiz sounds like he wants to prove his worth at Juventus once again.
So, the Juventus Question of the Day is this: With how he’s played so far this summer in Juventus’ two friendlies, does that mean you’d be OK with him sticking around during the 2026-27 season?
