West Ham United have been handed a massive boost in their pursuit of Juventus midfielder Douglas Luiz.
According to Calciomercato, the Brazilian midfielder failed to report for pre-season training, further fuelling speculation about his future in Italy.
Luiz didn’t give any excuse for his absence, and Juventus are now preparing to take disciplinary measures against the former Aston Villa man.
The Old Lady have not released any official statement, but tensions are rising behind the scenes, and the Hammers are gearing up to take advantage.
Luiz has spent just one year at Juventus after joining in a player plus cash deal that saw Samuel Iling-Junior and Enzo Barrenechea move in the opposite direction.
Neither move has worked for either club, with Juventus now stuck with Luiz, who has four years left on his contract.
The midfielder is poised to leave the club this summer, and a return to the Premier League is on the cards with Everton, West Ham, and Manchester United touted as possible destinations.
Everton are reportedly keeping tabs on the situation, while Villa have shut down speculation about potentially re-signing their former player.
West Ham’s path to the midfielder has become clearer, but they still have a fight on their hands.
West Ham need a player of Luiz’s calibre
West Ham haven’t had much to cheer about in the transfer market this summer. The Hammers have welcomed El Hadji Malick Diouf from Slavia Prague in a £19 million deal.
They have also activated a permanent purchase option for Jean-Clair Todibo and welcomed Kyle Walker-Peters and Daniel Cummings from Southampton and Celtic, respectively.
But they still have plenty of work to do as Graham Potter looks to rebuild his ageing squad.
The midfield is a key area that needs plenty of reinforcement, and Luiz fits the mould of a player who would slot into Potter’s system like a glove.
Having spent five years at Villa Park, Luiz wouldn’t need time to adapt to the Premier League and can hit the ground running.
His ongoing fiasco could pave the way for West Ham to land a cut-price deal. The Hammers have already attempted to sign him on loan, but Juventus would rather cut him loose permanently.