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(Credit: Hasan Karim - Breaking Media, Imago)

Oliver Walton

Tue 5 August 2025 19:33, UK

West Ham could be about to spark their transfer window into life by signing Juventus’ Douglas Luiz on loan as fellow suitors Nottingham Forest turn their attention to a different midfield target.

Luiz’s time at Juventus has not gone to plan so far, as he featured 27 times in all competitions last season following a £43.5m [The Athletic] switch from Aston Villa in the summer window.

Juventus have taken disciplinary action against Luiz recently, and he made just three league starts in his maiden Serie A campaign, but Football Insider recently revealed Luiz is wanted by Man United and Everton ahead of the new Premier League season.

Italian journalist Matte Moretto (30 July) claimed that Forest are pushing to sign him instead of their top-flight rivals, but Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke revealed on Monday (4 August) that West Ham have made a “formal move” to land Luiz’s services ahead of the East Midlands outfit and the Red Devils.

With the race to sign the Brazilian international well and truly on, it now looks as if the Hammers are favourites to seal his signature following new reports and developments elsewhere.

Graham Potter wants Luiz to bolster his midfield options (Credit: Imago)

Forest have been challenging West Ham for Luiz in recent times, but it now looks as if they have shifted their focus to signing a different midfield target instead of the Brazilian international.

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Sky Sport Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg, via X, has reported that Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have added RB Salzburg midfielder and captain Mads Bidstrup to the top of their transfer shortlist.

The 24 year-old central midfielder is under contract with Salzburg until 2028, and is no stranger to English football after spending three years at Brentford between 2020 and 2023.

Forest are seemingly prioritising Bidstrup’s signature, with him at the top of their list of targets, and it would make little sense for them to sign him for a relatively substantial transfer fee and then also go for Luiz, with the likes of Nico Dominguez, Elliot Anderson, Ryan Yates and Ibrahim Sangare already on their books.

They have likely strayed away from the idea of signing the 27-year-old at all this summer, which leaves West Ham with only Man United to fend off in terms of competition for his signature.

The Hammers will know that they hold less pulling power and financial might than the Red Devils, but the fact they have already made a move to sign Luiz already gives them the advantage, and Graham Potter would surely guarantee him to be a starter, rather than him having to fight for his place under Ruben Amorim.

As well as that, United’s lack of interest in other midfield players so far this summer points to Amorim already being happy with his current options, and they are also focusing on more pertinent issues right now with Benjamin Sesko set to choose between a move to Old Trafford or Newcastle.

West Ham’s struggles under both Julen Lopetegui and Potter eventually saw them finish 14th in the Premier League last season, and the need for fresh faces throughout the squad has been clear this summer.

Their transfer business has been pretty slow so far, with El-Hadji Malick Diouf signed from Slavia Prague and both Callum Wilson and Kyle Walker-Peters signed on free transfers, but a coup like Luiz could be the catalyst to more shrewd signings being made over the next month.

AppearancesGoalsAssists1752018Douglas Luiz’s all-time Premier League stats

Luiz is an experienced operator in the Premier League, and he grew into one of the best central midfielders in the country during his time at Villa, so it does come as surprise to see Juve farming him out after just one lacklustre season.

His attitude has seemingly been a problem in Italy, however, but a return to England and guaranteed starts at a big club like the Irons is surely something he would be open to ahead of the World Cup next summer.

West Ham need to make his signing a priority over the coming days after their formal approach, as it looks as if they are now favourites to land him after these new developments.

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