Chelsea have reportedly sent a clear message regarding their interest in Brazilian midfielder Douglas Luiz, despite the player's recent absence from Nottingham Forest's matchday squad. The Blues remain hopeful of adding new faces to their squad before the January transfer window closes, with Luiz identified as a potential addition to bolster their midfield options.
Forest Boss Confirms No Imminent Move
Nottingham Forest manager Sean Dyche has firmly confirmed that Douglas Luiz is not on the verge of a move to Chelsea, despite the midfielder being left out of the squad that beat Brentford 2-0 over the weekend. Dyche clarified that Luiz's absence was due to illness, specifically a flu-like situation, rather than any transfer-related developments.
"He's ill. He's got what's going around - the flu sort of situation," Dyche explained. "He came in and spoke to the doctor. We said we had to get him out of the camp because we had such a long injury list when we got here and we don't want illness to creep in as well."
Complicated Loan Situation
The potential transfer is complicated by Luiz's current contractual situation. The former Aston Villa midfielder is in the middle of a season-long loan at Nottingham Forest from Juventus, with the Midlands club holding an obligation to buy for approximately £22 million should he make 15 league appearances of 45 minutes or more.
Despite confirming Luiz's illness, Dyche appeared less than optimistic about the player's future at Forest when asked if he expected the midfielder to remain part of the squad for the remainder of the season. His response was notably non-committal: "We'll see."
Chelsea's Midfield Considerations
Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior has already spoken publicly about potentially adding a new midfielder following Dario Essugo's injury. Speaking ahead of Chelsea's weekend victory against Crystal Palace, Rosenior outlined his current midfield options while emphasising the need for any new signing to enhance the squad.
"In terms of my midfield options you've got Enzo [Fernandez], Moi [Moises Caicedo], Andrey Santos, Reece James," Rosenior stated. "It's not bad. I've been really clear on this: I don't want to bring in players that don't enhance the group or the chemistry that we're building."
The Chelsea boss added: "So we have to be very selective at this stage of the season. If we do bring in the right player in a certain position, they have to have a clear impact on the team."
Defensive Reinforcements Also Sought
Away from midfield considerations, Chelsea are also reportedly keen to strengthen their central defensive ranks. Argentine centre-back Aarón Anselmino is expected to return to Stamford Bridge in the coming days after being recalled from his loan spell with Borussia Dortmund.
The January transfer window continues to present challenges for Premier League clubs seeking to strengthen their squads mid-season, with Chelsea's pursuit of Douglas Luiz appearing to have hit a significant obstacle following Sean Dyche's definitive comments about the player's current situation at Nottingham Forest.
