The right personalities are crucial when recruiting new players, but one of Nottingham Forest’s top summer targets looks to have infuriated his current club with his online antics.
Ahead of the January transfer window, Evangelos Marinakis was prioritising the dressing room atmosphere when considering any incomings, perhaps indicating why the Forest squad wasn’t added to.
There’s no doubt that incomings will arrive in the summer, though, with Forest looking to spend serious money to give Nuno Espirito Santo the best chance of building on European qualification.
However, the dressing room atmosphere at the City Ground must remain at the forefront of the recruitment team’s mind, which could alter the club’s plans for one of their top targets.
Juventus fume after Douglas Luiz social media comments
Forest are said to be frontrunners for Douglas Luiz after being linked with the Brazilian midfielder in January as well, but these rumours may cool after how he has been acting in Turin.
According to Tuttosport, Luiz has upset the higher-ups at Juventus through his actions on social media, which have seemingly made his feelings about the club very clear.
“A few days before the match against Lazio at the Olimpico (where he came on as a substitute during the second half), Douglas took part in a live broadcast on Twitch in which he let himself go with a melancholic thought for his former team, Aston Villa.
“After less than 10 minutes of live broadcast, answering questions from followers, the Brazilian declared: ‘I miss Aston Villa, guys. I miss playing at Villa Park, I miss everything, it’s always in my heart.'”
Juventus’ response to this has been one of anger, as the report continued to reveal how senior management reacted to the story.
It said: “Juve obviously didn’t like the Brazilian’s first words at all. The management wasn’t happy with Douglas’s attitude because certain things should be resolved internally without publishing them directly on social media.”
Looking to set the record straight, Luiz has once again taken to social media in an attempt to defuse the situation, at least until his seemingly inevitable transfer away in the summer.
Forest target Douglas Luiz clarifies Aston Villa comments
Juventus have already made it clear that Forest would need to offer an obligation to buy Luiz if a loan offer is submitted, emphasising their desire to see the Brazilian leave.
Luiz is still attempting to rescue his relationship with Juventus fans, though. First, he declared his love for the club in an Instagram post, then set the record straight about his Aston Villa comments.
The story said: “When I spoke of Aston Villa, I was only referring to the affection for a place where I grew up as a man and a footballer, not to the desire to return. We must not confuse nostalgia with the desire to return: I love Juventus and I am totally focused on our goals.”
Luiz decided to stay at Juventus in January, but all of this drama must be making a move away even more tempting.
The club may be concerned about his potential attitude issues, but it seems clear that the Brazilian’s move to Italy just hasn’t worked out, so any attitude problems should be viewed in this context.
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