Nottingham Forest on the verge of missing out on Douglas Luiz as Premier League rival now ‘most likely path’

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Douglas Luiz has long been linked with a move to Nottingham Forest, but one other Premier League side looks to have stolen a march on his signature.

The Brazilian looks destined for a return to the Premier League this summer, whether at Forest or not, as Manchester United were offered Luiz as part of a deal for Rasmus Hojlund.

His nightmare season in Turin led to Juventus wanting to sell Luiz, giving his long-term admirers hope of a potential cut-price deal.

Whether Evangelos Marinakis has a chance to stake Forest’s claim in the race isn’t clear, though, as another Premier League side moves to the front of the queue.

Crystal Palace lead the race to sign Douglas Luiz

Leeds have shown an interest in Luiz as well, with the 27-year-old’s time at Aston Villa a clear indicator that he would be an asset to most Premier League sides.

Europa League-bound Crystal Palace clearly align with this as, according to Tuttosport, the FA Cup winners are making a push to sign the Brazilian.

The report said: “Someone in the Premier League hasn’t forgotten him and for this reason, the most likely path today is the one that would bring him back to England, this time to Crystal Palace. The Eagles are interested – and very much so – in the manoeuvres for Douglas Luiz.

“The Brazilian can leave for a figure close to 25 million euros, although Juve hopes to unleash a mini auction, especially in the event that the British big teams were to enter the race.”

His talent isn’t up for debate, but after a torrid time in Italy, the £21m fee feels about right for Luiz. However, if the suggestion of an auction is correct, Marinakis must proceed cautiously.

Nottingham Forest should be wary of a Douglas Luiz auction

According to Capology, Luiz is currently earning £135,000 per week at Juventus, so he would be a top earner at most interested Premier League sides, let alone Forest.

Therefore, if Marinakis is tempted to throw his hat into the ring in a potential auction, the price cannot go too much higher than the reported £21m to ensure his wages can even be covered.

Earlier in the summer, Luiz had been quoted with a £42m price tag to his name, so it’s not unreasonable to assume that the club have gone purposely low with this latest valuation to start this auction.

In that case, Forest should simply observe the situation for now and only act if the opportunity for a cut-price deal without an auction presents itself.