Godwin ObajeEverton’s Bold Summer Gamble: The Douglas Luiz Play and the Friedkin Factor
Scene-Setter: A Rebuilt Club on the Brink
When David Moyes returned to Everton earlier this year, many doubted whether the veteran tactician had the modern touch to handle the chaos of a club on the edge. Financial uncertainty, boardroom upheaval, and a bloated squad going nowhere fast — all familiar narratives on the blue half of Merseyside. But the arrival of the Friedkin Group changed everything. Overnight, Everton pivoted from cautious penny-pinching to a calculated, confident approach that suddenly has the club linked with one of the most progressive midfielders in Europe.
So far, Moyes has made moves that whisper ‘pragmatic rebuild’. Carlos Alcaraz and Thierno Barry have come through the door — the latter a standout coup given the interest swirling around the France under-21 international. But for all the welcome new faces, the departures of Orel Mangala and Abdoulaye Doucoure have left Everton’s midfield unbalanced and worryingly light.
Which is why, this week, the focus has turned sharply toward Douglas Luiz. According to Calcio Mercato, Moyes and his recruitment team are “pushing more strongly than West Ham United” to land the Juventus midfielder. As the Friedkin millions free up new possibilities, the question is simple: can Everton pull off the kind of signing that transforms the spine of the team?
The Friedkin Factor: New Money, New Expectations
Before we dive deep into Douglas Luiz’s credentials, it’s worth understanding just how the Friedkin takeover is reshaping the conversation around Everton. For years, the club stumbled from one transfer window to the next, held back by a volatile owner and questionable recruitment. The new American owners, led by Dan Friedkin, wasted little time in outlining their ambitions. Substantial cash injections have wiped away some immediate debt pressure, allowing Moyes and his staff to look beyond the bargain bin.
Crucially, the Friedkin Group doesn’t appear interested in short-term splurging for its own sake. Sources inside the club describe a tight alignment between the boardroom and Moyes: the aim is to back experienced players with proven data while nurturing high-upside prospects like Barry.
The catch? This is still Everton — and the Premier League’s financial fair play rules hover like a storm cloud over every ambitious project. The Toffees can’t afford vanity signings. They need value on the pitch, quickly.
The Departures That Opened the Door
Doucoure and Mangala’s exits were predictable but nonetheless painful. Doucoure’s work rate and box-to-box presence masked plenty of flaws last season. Without him, the current midfield options lack physicality and composure under pressure.
Thierno Barry is a forward-looking deal — raw but brimming with upside. Alcaraz, meanwhile, is an exciting piece but not a ready-made anchor in the heart of the pitch. Everton still lack a player who can dictate tempo, receive under pressure, beat a press, and turn defence into attack. Enter Douglas Luiz.
Douglas Luiz: Not Just a Dribbler
If you only know Douglas Luiz from his days at Aston Villa, you’ll remember glimpses of his raw talent — the long-range strikes, the calm distribution, and the occasional error that made fans pull their hair out. But at Juventus, Luiz has matured. He’s not just a pivot. He’s become one of Europe’s best ball-carrying midfielders.
The data backs it up. According to FBref, Luiz ranks in the top five percent of successful take-ons per 90 among his positional peers across Europe. That’s no fluke. He’s evolved into a genuine press-resistant engine room operator — the type of player Moyes has rarely been able to deploy in recent years.
“He dictates the tempo of games,” says an analyst close to Juve’s setup. “But what makes him special is how he carries the ball forward under pressure. He’s got that unique Brazilian calm, but with the tactical discipline that Serie A instils.”
And there’s more. Luiz is a set-piece specialist — a skill Everton have lacked for seasons. In an era where marginal gains define league survival, dead-ball quality is no trivial bonus.
The Juventus Angle: Why He’s Available
So why would Juve let him go? The answer lies in their own rebuild. Juventus have made no secret of their intention to refresh an ageing squad and boost their balance sheet. Luiz, at 27, is in his prime and could command a solid fee.
“Everton want Luiz on loan with an option to buy next summer,” reports Calcio Mercato. “But Juventus remain firm on their stance — they want a permanent transfer this summer.”
The figure? £34 million, according to multiple Italian outlets. For the Friedkin Group, that’s feasible — but only if the financial package aligns with their sustainability plan.
David Moyes’ Pitch: How It Works on the Grass
Douglas Luiz isn’t your classic Moyes signing. The Scot has a reputation for preferring robust, disciplined workhorses — think Fellaini at his peak. But Everton’s current squad makeup demands something different.
The modern Premier League midfield punishes teams that cannot transition play efficiently. Luiz’s progressive carries and press resistance could be exactly what Moyes needs to unleash a front line that has looked too often isolated.
Pair Luiz with the industry of Alcaraz, the pace of Barry, and suddenly you have a midfield unit that doesn’t just sit and screen the defence — it initiates moves, drags markers out of position, and creates pockets of space for more adventurous fullbacks.
A Battle of Wills: West Ham Lurks
It wouldn’t be an Everton transfer saga without a twist. West Ham United, with their own patchy squad rebuild under Julen Lopetegui, are hovering around the deal.
So far, the Friedkin millions have given Everton an edge. Calcio Mercato says: “Everton are pushing more strongly than West Ham United as they’re already in direct talks with Juve.”
But as any seasoned Premier League fan knows, ‘direct talks’ can mean everything or nothing. If Juve stick to their guns and insist on an immediate sale, will Everton stump up the cash or pivot to a fallback option?
Financial Tightrope: FFP, Wages, and Risk
The Friedkin Group’s deep pockets don’t override reality. Everton are still navigating FFP with the caution of a tightrope walker. One misstep could lead to points deductions, fines, or worse.
The question the board must weigh: Is Douglas Luiz worth the risk? £34 million is significant, but so is the potential upside. Moyes wants proven quality; the data suggests Luiz is exactly that.
But wages matter, too. Luiz would expect a pay bump from his Juve terms — a structure Everton must balance carefully, especially with other areas still needing reinforcement.
The Wider Strategy: Not Just One Player
It’s easy to fixate on Luiz, but his signing — or any near miss — would tell us plenty about the club’s wider plan. The Friedkin blueprint is clear: calculated ambition, sensible spending, a tactical upgrade to match the financial clout.
Landing Luiz would send a signal that Everton are no longer shopping at the bottom shelf. It would also help Moyes sell the project to other targets in what remains of the summer window.
There’s also the narrative boost. Everton, so often the punchline in recent windows, suddenly look like the club that can outbid West Ham for an established Brazil international.
Underlying Data: What the Numbers Really Say
Let’s park the narrative for a moment and look at the cold, hard stats.
Successful take-ons: Top 5% for position in Europe.
Progressive carries: Consistently in the top quartile among deep-lying playmakers.
Pass completion under pressure: 88% in Serie A last season — impressive given Juve’s uneven form.
Set-pieces: 5 direct goal contributions from dead balls last season.
Everton fans should see these numbers as more than spreadsheet trivia. They hint at a player who thrives in the moments where games are won or lost: turning out of a tight press, advancing the ball instead of hoofing it long, winning fouls in dangerous areas.
What the Critics Say: A Word of Caution
It’s easy to get swept up in the stats, but some sceptics see warning signs. Luiz isn’t a pure destroyer — he won’t rack up 15 ball recoveries every match or dominate aerial duels. Against the Premier League’s more physical midfields, he could get targeted.
“He’s not going to be your N’Golo Kante,” says one scout familiar with his game. “But he can make you play. If Moyes expects him to be an all-action number six, he’ll be disappointed. Play him as a regista who has licence to break lines, and you’ll get his best.”
Everton’s Midfield Evolution: Where He Fits
Assuming Luiz signs, how would the Toffees line up?
Option A: Luiz sits deepest, with Alcaraz and Barry ahead — a modern 4-3-3 that uses his ball progression to release wide forwards.
Option B: A pivot with Luiz and Alcaraz, using overlapping full-backs for width and a more conservative wide player tucking in.
Option C: Moyes returns to a hybrid 4-2-3-1, with Luiz behind a more advanced ‘10’ and double screens in big away games.
However Moyes tweaks it, Luiz would be the metronome. For once, Everton would have a player who can keep them ticking when the chaos hits.
The Lens from Italy: Juve’s Perspective
Inside Juventus, there’s no sense of panic about losing Luiz. They want the fee to reinvest in a younger, cheaper replacement. The club has plenty of midfield depth, and their new manager wants a different profile — more steel, less finesse.
“Juve want a permanent transfer this summer and value the 27-year-old at around £34m,” confirms Calcio Mercato. That’s a price that makes sense for all parties — if Everton pull the trigger.
The Fan Base: Hope, Fear, and the Ghosts of Windows Past
If you talk to Evertonians around Goodison, you’ll hear the same mix of hope and anxiety. This is a fan base bruised by failed recruitment, broken promises, and false dawns. The Friedkin era feels different — but until pen hits paper, that old cynicism lingers.
The names are seared into memory: Cenk Tosun, Moise Kean, Davy Klaassen — players who arrived with promise but failed to lift the club forward. Luiz, on paper, looks more robust than any of those. But that’s what they said before.
What Happens Next?
As of Monday evening, Everton remain in direct talks with Juventus. The shape of the deal is the sticking point: the Toffees want a loan with an option to buy, Juve want cash now. There’s a world where compromise is found — a loan with an obligation to buy if certain targets are met, for example.
Sources close to Moyes insist he’s personally invested in landing Luiz. The player’s camp, meanwhile, see Everton as an intriguing destination — Premier League stability, a clear role in the team, and the promise of a project that could push him back into the Brazil reckoning ahead of the next Copa America.
Final Word: A Defining Test for Friedkin’s Ambition
One signing doesn’t define an era. But sometimes, it sets the tone. If Everton land Douglas Luiz, they prove to their rivals, their fans, and themselves that the Friedkin project has teeth. They show they can outmuscle clubs like West Ham for top-tier talent. And they show that Moyes, written off by many, still has the credibility to attract the best.
More than anything, they give a fan base desperate for progress something concrete to hold onto. A statement of intent. A reason to believe.
Now, it’s up to the men in the boardroom to close the deal — and for Luiz, if he comes, to be the catalyst Everton have lacked for far too long.
Godwin Obaje
