STAMFORD BRIDGE SHOCK: Chelsea Weighing Up Emergency Move for Forest Outcast Douglas Luiz
By 247sportcity | Thursday, January 22, 2026
LONDON – In a move that has caught the Premier League by surprise, Chelsea are reportedly exploring the possibility of an audacious January swoop for Brazilian midfielder Douglas Luiz. Currently on a season-long loan at Nottingham Forest from Juventus, Luiz has emerged as a primary target for the Blues as they scramble to address a mounting injury crisis in the heart of their midfield.1
Despite his high-profile £42.3 million move from Aston Villa to Turin in 2024, the 27-year-old has endured a difficult eighteen months. After struggling to find his rhythm in Serie A, his return to England with Forest was supposed to be a career revival. Instead, it has been a stop-start campaign defined by just 13 total appearances, only eight of which have come in the Premier League.
The Midfield Medical Crisis
The impetus for Chelsea’s interest stems from a “perfect storm” of absences in the engine room. Head coach Liam Rosenior is currently without the services of Romeo Lavia, whose luckless stint at Stamford Bridge continues. Lavia has been sidelined since early November with no definitive return date in sight.
Compounding the issue is the mysterious absence of Dario Essugo. The 20-year-old was reportedly on the brink of a return against Arsenal earlier this month following a severe thigh injury, but tactical shifts during that game delayed his comeback. Since then, Essugo has vanished from match-day squads and training sessions alike, with the club maintaining a strict silence on his status.
[Table: Chelsea’s Depleted Engine Room]
With the Blues still competing on four fronts, the lack of specialist depth has become a glaring vulnerability.
| Player | Status | Primary Concern |
| Romeo Lavia | Injured | No return timeframe (Out since Nov) |
| Dario Essugo | Missing | Absent from training/squads |
| Andrey Santos | Available | Young/Rotating |
| Douglas Luiz | Target | Premier League Experience |
A Short-Term Solution with “Blue” Pedigree?
While Chelsea boast the elite duo of Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez, the relentless schedule has forced Rosenior to ask full-backs Reece James and Malo Gusto to fill in as makeshift central midfielders.
Luiz, though currently “out-of-favour” at the City Ground, offers exactly what Chelsea lack: proven Premier League experience and technical composure. During his peak at Aston Villa, Luiz was considered one of the most effective deep-lying playmakers in the division. Chelsea’s hierarchy believes that under the right tactical structure, they can extract the “world-class” form that has eluded the Brazilian in Turin and Nottingham.
The logistics of the deal remain complex. For a move to happen, Nottingham Forest would need to agree to cut the loan short, and Juventus would have to sanction a secondary temporary move to West London. However, given Luiz’s lack of minutes under Sean Dyche, a move to a club of Chelsea’s stature could be the catalyst all parties need.