Douglas Luiz now undroppable under Sean Dyche as huge Nottingham Forest update emerges
Sean Dyche is making key changes to the Nottingham Forest squad ahead of the second half of the 2025-26 campaign.
Douglas Luiz has had a mixed time at the City Ground, having made 13 appearances since arriving on loan from Juventus in the summer, either side of a lengthy injury lay-off.
With just a few days remaining of the transfer window, fans are waiting to see who follows Arnaud Kalimuendo out the exit doors, with Luiz one of those linked with an early departure.
Elliot Anderson and Ibrahim Sangare have staked their claims as undroppable starters for the Reds, with Morgan Gibbs-White the main creative force in the final third.
However, Dyche will need to find a way of forcing the Brazilian into the lineup, as the Tricky Trees look set to add a new, dynamic, exciting player to the forward line this month.
Nottingham Forest set to sign Lorenzo Lucca
Forest have long been linked with Napoli‘s Lorenzo Lucca, and with the striker now set to travel to England, it is impossible to see the deal not happening now.
Despite struggling since his big-money move across to Napoli, notching just two goals in 23 games and being second fiddle to Rasmus Hojlund, he is undoubtedly a talented centre-forward.
Last season, he netted 14 goals in 36 games for a mid-table Udinese side, with five of his 12 league goals coming from headers, and one of his two goals so far this season coming via the same.
And that is exactly where Luiz comes in for the Reds. While the 27-year-old has created just one goal since signing for Forest, he could have a new lease of life if Dyche can fit him into the team.
Sean Dyche must unleash the creative side of Douglas Luiz
His best season to date came for Aston Villa in the 2023-24 season, when he notched 10 goals and 10 assists in 53 appearances, rarely coming close to those numbers at any other club.
And in the Premier League, the Brazilian ranked in the top 95th percentile for successful crosses, created a total of 53 chances, and ranked in the top 97th percentile for accurate long balls [FotMob].
His success from crosses alone should be the key reason for Dyche keeping him in the team, with Forest set to bring Lucca straight into the team, battling for the centre-forward spot with Igor Jesus.
Very few have the same quality on the ball as Luiz, either from set-pieces or from open play, and so he will be the key to Lucca hitting the ground running upon arriving in the Premier League.
With Premier League relegation very much a possibility this season, Dyche cannot afford to mess around.