Chelsea remain hopeful of adding a new face to their squad before the end of the January transfer window, with Brazilian midfielder Douglas Ruiz mentioned as a potential addition.
Rumor has it that Douglas Luiz could join Chelsea (Image: Getty Images)
Nottingham Forest manager Sean Dyche has admitted that Douglas Luiz is not on the verge of a move to Chelsea, despite him being left out of the squad at the weekend. The Brazilian has been tipped as a possible addition for the Blues as they look to strengthen their midfield options.
The deal is likely to be somewhat complicated given that the former Aston Villa player is currently on a season-long loan from Juventus to Nottingham Forest. The Midlands side are obligated to sign the forward for around £22m if he plays 15 or more league minutes.
There were eyebrows raised when Luiz was left out of the Forest squad that beat Brentford 2-0 on Sunday as Chelsea considered him. However, Dyche confirmed that his absence was not related to the transfer.
“He’s sick. It’s a flu-like situation. He came in and spoke to the doctor and we said we have to take him out of camp because the injury list is so long when we get here and we don’t want the illness to creep in.”
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“Infection spreads like wildfire during airplane travel and other forms of travel. We hope he recovers quickly.”
Despite confirming that Luiz is currently out injured, Dyche is not particularly optimistic about his future at the club. Asked if he thought the midfielder would remain with the team for the rest of the season, he replied: “We’ll see.”
Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior has already spoken of the possibility of adding a new midfielder following Dario Esgo’s injury. He said this ahead of the weekend’s win against Crystal Palace. “My midfield options are Enzo (Fernandes), Moi (Moises Caicedo), Andrei Santos and Reece James.
Douglas Luiz is on a season-long loan from Juventus (Image: Getty Images)
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“It’s not bad. I’ve been very clear about this. I don’t want to bring in players that don’t strengthen the group and the chemistry that we’re building.”
“So you have to choose very carefully at this stage of the season. If you’re bringing in the right players for a particular position, they have to have a clear impact on the team.”
Chelsea are also keen to move away from midfield and strengthen their central defense. Argentine centre-back Aaron Anselmino has been recalled from his loan spell at Borussia Dortmund and is expected to return to Stamford Bridge in the coming days.
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