The Douglas Luiz mystery – Why is the former Aston Villa star struggling at Juventus? | OneFootball

Despite being the club’s second-most expensive signing of the summer after Teun Koopmeiners, Douglas Luiz has yet to hit the ground running since arriving at Juventus.

The former Aston Villa star joined the Bianconeri on a deal worth 50 million euros, including the values of Samuel Iling-Junior and Enzo Barrenechea who went in the opposite direction.

Last season, the 26-year-old was one of the finest midfielders in the Premier League. He scored ten goals and produced as many assists across all competitions.

However, he’s been struggling to impose himself in Thiago Motta’s middle of the park. The Brazilian only had one start thus far this season in what was a disappointing showing in Empoli.

This weekend, he was an unused substitute against Napoli, with the manager preferring the reinstated Weston McKennie.

But as La Gazzetta dello Sport (via IlBianconero) points out, Juventus had prominent top signings in the past who took a while to showcase their prowess, including the likes of Pavel Nedved and Miralem Pjanic.

The pink newspaper believes Luiz’s late return from the summer vacation has been taking its toll on his physical condition.

Moreover, the player is still trying to adjust to the new training methods and tactical system, which also hindered his early weeks at the club.

Therefore, the source insists there shouldn’t be a reason to panic at the moment, as the Brazil international can still turn out good for the Bianconeri.

GdS even tips him to start next Saturday when Juventus travel to Liguria to take on Genoa in their next Serie A contest.