Chelsea assess Douglas Luiz loan amid midfield fitness concerns

Chelsea are assessing a potential late-window midfield addition, with Douglas Luiz emerging as a possible short-term solution as the club balance domestic and European demands during a congested second half of the season.

According to The Athletic, Chelsea are considering a loan move for the Brazil international, who is currently spending the campaign at Nottingham Forest after joining on loan from Juventus.

Luiz arrived at Forest last August but has struggled to establish himself as a regular starter. He has made 13 appearances in all competitions, starting only twice in the Premier League since Sean Dyche replaced Ange Postecoglou in October.

While a hamstring injury disrupted his rhythm earlier in the season, selection decisions have also played a role in limiting his minutes at the City Ground.

Forest’s loan agreement includes a conditional obligation to buy based on appearance thresholds, alongside a €30m option should those conditions not be met. With Luiz unlikely to reach the required number of games, flexibility remains for all parties.

Under head coach Liam Rosenior, Chelsea are competing on multiple fronts, including the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup. That workload has placed renewed emphasis on midfield durability.

Although Chelsea already have Moisés Caicedo, Enzo Fernández, Andrey Santos, Dário Essugo and Romeo Lavia on the books, availability has been an issue. Essugo is yet to feature this season, while Lavia has managed just seven appearances due to ongoing fitness concerns.

Having followed Chelsea closely in recent weeks, the club’s interest in Luiz appears driven less by long-term planning and more by the need for experienced cover capable of contributing immediately.

Luiz joined Juventus from Aston Villa in the summer of 2024 in a deal worth €50m plus add-ons. However, his season in Turin failed to gain momentum, leading to the temporary move back to the Premier League.

At 26, Luiz remains highly regarded for his positional discipline, press resistance and set-piece quality — traits Chelsea value as they look to manage game control across competitions.

Any deal would come with limitations. Should Luiz join Chelsea this month, he would not be eligible to feature in their final Champions League league-phase match against Napoli next Wednesday, with UEFA registration rules only reopening at the knockout stage.

Chelsea return to Premier League action on Sunday with a home fixture against Crystal Palace, while Forest travel to Braga for Europa League duty later this week.

Chelsea are expected to continue internal discussions before deciding whether to formalise interest. Much will depend on Forest’s stance, Juventus’ approval and Chelsea’s assessment of midfield fitness over the coming days.

However, it remains too early to draw firm conclusions, with the move framed as an option rather than an active negotiation at this stage.

Would Douglas Luiz be the right short-term fix for Chelsea’s midfield depth?