Douglas Luiz Soares de Paulo

Douglas Luiz is a Brazilian midfielder born in Rio de Janeiro on 9 May 1998. He developed in Vasco da Gama’s youth system before reaching the first team in July 2016, helping the club earn promotion to Brazil’s top flight. In 2017, Manchester City signed him, but he made no competitive appearances for the club and spent two loan spells with Girona in Spain. Aston Villa brought Douglas Luiz to England in July 2019 after winning promotion to the Premier League. Across five seasons, he became a central figure in Villa’s midfield, making 175 appearances and scoring 20 goals. He represented Brazil at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, helping the team win gold. In June 2024, Juventus signed the versatile central or defensive midfielder, whose game combines ball retention, tackling and progressive passing.