Chelsea Considers Loan Move for Forest’s Luiz Amid Managerial Changes

According to reports from The Athletic, Chelsea is considering a surprising move in the upcoming winter transfer market to secure Douglas Luiz on loan for the remainder of the 2025-26 season. This comes despite Luiz’s limited impact at Nottingham Forest this season.

The report indicates that Luiz, who has been sidelined at the start of the season due to a hamstring injury, is viewed as a valuable addition to the project that new manager Liam Rosenior aims to establish at Chelsea following his recent appointment.

Luiz joined Forest on loan from Serie A powerhouse Juventus, with a conditional obligation to buy dependent on his number of appearances. If he fails to meet that threshold, Nottingham Forest retains a £26 million (€30m/$35m) option to purchase him.

Since Sean Dyche took over as manager at the City Ground in October, Luiz has made just two league starts, raising questions about his role in the team.

Rosenior has confirmed that he is in daily discussions with the club’s co-sporting directors, Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, regarding potential new signings for January. “If we do sign a player, it needs to be the right player,” Rosenior stated to reporters. “We need to be patient and assess this group, which is incredibly important to me.”

The current midfield options for Chelsea include Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, Andrey Santos, Dario Essugo, and Romeo Lavia, although the latter two have faced injury challenges this season.

In a separate statement, Forest’s manager Dyche commented that Luiz is “enjoying his time” at the club, despite limited first-team opportunities. “It’s down to him as much as us,” Dyche remarked when discussing how Luiz can adapt to his new environment. “He is an experienced professional and understands the performance standards required. He is a talented player who is gradually finding his place within our system.”

While Chelsea’s interest in Luiz remains uncertain, the club aims to secure their fourth victory in Rosenior’s first five games when they face a struggling Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Sunday. Since Rosenior took over from Enzo Maresca at the beginning of January, Chelsea has achieved victories against Charlton Athletic, Brentford, and Pafos across the FA Cup, Premier League, and Champions League, with their sole defeat occurring against Arsenal in the Carabao Cup semi-final.

On the other hand, Crystal Palace is grappling with a winless streak of ten matches in all competitions under Oliver Glasner, who has announced his departure from the club at the end of the season. Additionally, striker Jean-Philippe Mateta has expressed his desire to leave the club before the transfer window closes.