“It’s happening!” – Douglas Luiz’ Chelsea jersey number has been REVEALED as reports confirm the Brazilian star has agreed a Loan deal

Chelsea are only prepared to move forward with a deal for Douglas Luiz if Juventus agrees to a straightforward loan without any strings attached, according to recent reports.

Luiz is currently on loan at Nottingham Forest, where he has made eight Premier League appearances so far this season.

Reports suggest that Sean Dyche’s side will be obligated to purchase Luiz for around €25 million (£22m) if he reaches 15 Premier League appearances before the campaign ends.

However, Chelsea are now looking to hijack that loan arrangement and bring Luiz to Stamford Bridge to strengthen their depleted central midfield ranks.

With Romeo Lavia and Dario Essugo both ruled out with long-term injuries, manager Liam Rosenior currently has just three natural central midfielders available: Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, and Andrey Santos.

Discussions between Chelsea and Juventus have reportedly been initiated, and while Luiz is open to making the switch, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano maintains that the Blues will only proceed if there’s no obligation to make the move permanent in the summer.

“Chelsea have reached out to Juventus to express their interest in Douglas Luiz,” Romano explained on his YouTube channel. “Club-to-club talks are now underway, though we’re still in the early stages of discussions.

“Chelsea have Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, and Andrey Santos available, but they want one more midfielder, and Douglas Luiz on loan from Juventus represents a concrete possibility.

“The player is open to joining Chelsea, so now it’s down to whether the two clubs can reach an agreement. Chelsea are only interested in a pure loan deal—they don’t want any obligation-to-buy clause included.

“They’re not willing to be forced into purchasing Douglas Luiz in the summer. If they can arrange a simple six-month loan, Chelsea would be happy to proceed. But if those conditions can’t be met, Chelsea will simply walk away from the negotiations.”