Is Serie A harder to play in? Douglas Luiz joins Nottingham Forest on a loan-to-buy deal worth €31.5 million.

For many players, when they struggle in the Premier League, they move to Serie A for an easier career, but for Brazilian midfielder Douglas Luiz, it’s the opposite — he finds Serie A tougher than the Premier League. Once a key midfielder at Aston Villa, he struggled for playing time after moving to Juventus and became a fringe player; now he is returning to the Premier League.

Officially, Juventus’ 27-year-old Brazilian midfielder Douglas Luiz has joined Nottingham Forest on a one-season loan deal that includes a mandatory purchase clause.

It is reported that Douglas Luiz’s loan to Nottingham Forest lasts for one year with a loan fee of €3 million. If certain conditions are met, the mandatory buyout clause will be triggered, with a permanent transfer fee of €25 million payable over four years, plus up to €3.5 million in bonuses. This means the total cost for Nottingham Forest to sign Douglas Luiz on a loan-to-buy basis could reach €31.5 million.

Douglas Luiz has played for Vasco da Gama, Manchester City, and Girona. He transferred from Manchester City to Aston Villa in the summer of 2019 for €16.8 million, and then moved from Aston Villa to Juventus in the summer of 2024 for €51.5 million. During his five years at Aston Villa, Douglas Luiz appeared in 204 matches, scoring 22 goals and providing 24 assists.

Now 27 years old, Douglas Luiz is 1.77 meters tall, right-footed, and capable of playing as a central midfielder or defensive midfielder. His market value on Transfermarkt is estimated at €30 million. Last season, he featured 26 times for Juventus across all competitions, starting 6 times and coming off the bench 20 times, accumulating 832 minutes with no goals or assists; he also appeared once as a substitute for 45 minutes in the 2025 Club World Cup.

Changing environments can revive a player; hopefully, Douglas Luiz’s return to the Premier League with Nottingham Forest will help him regain confidence and form.