Murillo sends six-word message as Aston Villa announce transfer
Aston Villa have confirmed the return of Douglas Luiz, who has moved to Villa Park on loan until the end of the campaign.
Luiz had previously been part of the Villa squad between 2019 and 2024, where he helped keep the Birmingham outfit in the Premier League before overseeing their rise up the table.
However, he was sold to Juventus in 2024, in a transfer that has not worked out, and he has now once again joined up with Unai Emery after a failed loan spell at Nottingham Forest.
Many players were quick to react to the news, including current Reds star Murillo.
A look behind the scenes for Dougie’s return to the Villa 📱 pic.twitter.com/z5Ji1OfrTH
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) January 28, 2026
Murillo reacts as Aston Villa announce Douglas Luiz loan move
Luiz will now be hoping to get his career back on track after a poor few years where he has struggled with injuries and form.
At the City Ground, he only made 14 appearances in all competitions, with injuries meaning that many of these came from the bench.
Nevertheless, he still clearly made an impact at the East Midlands club, with his former teammate Murillo quick to react to the news.
Upon Aston Villa announcing the loan deal on their Instagram page on 28 January, the defender commented “feliz demais por você meu irmão,” which translates to “so happy for you my brother,” followed by a red love heart emoji.
Can Luiz return to form at Aston Villa?
The big challenge for Luiz will be to find the excellent form he once had at Aston Villa.
The midfielder was once one of the best players in the division at what he did, and it was no surprise that Juventus wanted him in 2024.
However, it has been nearly two years since his Aston Villa departure, something that evidently derailed his career.
Yet, according to Fotmob on 29 January, when Luiz did play in the Premier League for Forest this season, he was solid.
| Douglas Luiz’s Premier League stats this season | Per 90 minutes |
| Shots | 1.42 |
| Big chances created | 0.28 |
| Passing accuracy | 92.4% |
| Duels won | 57.6% |
| Disspossessed | 0.28 |
| Tackles | 2.83 |
Per match, he was averaging 0.28 big chances created, 2.83 tackles, a 92.4 per cent passing accuracy and 1.42 shots.
Therefore, as long as Aston Villa can keep Luiz fit, there should be no question that he can make a big impact at Villa Park between now and the end of the season.