Juventus and Aston Villa are closing in on a deal for a midfield swap that would see USMNT player Weston McKennie and Brazil international Douglas Luiz switch clubs.
Fabrizio Romano reported on Tuesday that Juventus manager Thiago Motta has given the green light to swap McKennie for Douglas Luiz in a near-final deal. The deal will see Juventus send McKennie, Samule Iling Jr. and €20m ($21.4m) to Aston Villa for Douglas Luiz. The personal terms of all the players are now being negotiated, according to Romano and the deal is described as “more than closed.”
Weston McKennie has been mentioned as a name to watch in the early summer. Tom Bogert initially reported that contract extension talks had stalled after the Coppa Italia move. The USMNT midfielder has been offered to Premier League clubs before, having previously spent half a season on loan at Leeds United.
On the other hand, Douglas Luiz has been linked with a move in the last few windows. Premier League side Arsenal are interested in the player with no move to be made. Now, it looks like the Villa midfielder is heading to Italy as Unai Emery looks to renew his squad with the upcoming Champions League next season.
Both midfielders are representing their countries this summer in the Copa America. Brazil is one of the favorites in this tournament and the USA needs to play well at home to build confidence for the upcoming World Cup in 2026.
Sky Sports reported earlier this month that Aston Villa were one of six clubs that would have to release players in order to comply with the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability rules. Athletic reported that owner Nassef Sawiris is considering legal action against the club calling PSR “anti-competitive.”
Manchester City have a 20% fee to sell Douglas Luiz due to the move and questions about how a transfer deal could affect the clause.
READ LAST WEEK'S TRANSFER RUMORS HERE
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