Chelsea are considering a surprise loan signing of Douglas Luiz this month.
The Pitch Prospect understands Luiz would be open to a move to Stamford Bridge.
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Luiz moved to Nottingham Forest on loan from Juventus at the start of the summer in a bid to gain regular playing time.
The 27-year-old moved from Aston Villa to Juventus for £42.5m 18 months ago but has only played 19 league games for the Old Lady, including three as a starter.
The Italian giants were prepared to sanction Luiz’s departure last summer with a conditional obligation to make the move permanent, although this was dependent on the player making a certain number of appearances.
Luiz fights for minutes in the Forest
However, Luiz struggled to break into the Forest team’s starting XI and only made five starts in the league.
The Brazil international was sidelined for a while due to a thigh injury at the start of the season.
However, he has only made three league starts since Sean Dyche took over from Ange Postecoglou at the helm at City Ground in October.
Forest are now considering ending Luiz’s loan move, which would pave the way for a move to Chelsea for the remainder of the season.
The Blues believe Luiz will be a good addition to Liam Rosenior’s side as the 27-year-old has top-flight experience.
Chelsea boss Rosenior can already rely on Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, Andrey Santos, Dario Essugo and Romeo Lavia in the middle of the park.
However, the latter pair have struggled with injury problems this season, with Essugo having made just three appearances in the Club World Cup since joining from Sporting Lisbon last year, while Lavia have only featured four times in the league.
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The Belgian has not played since suffering a quadriceps injury in the 2-2 draw with Qarabag in November.
Therefore, Chelsea are considering a move for Luiz in the final rounds of the January transfer window.
The west London side would face competition from Villa for Luiz, with the Villans also reportedly considering a move for their former midfielder.
The Midlands side lost Boubacar Kamara to a season-ending knee injury earlier this month, a huge blow for Unai Emery’s men.
Chelsea are assessing the market for central defenders
The Blues are also eyeing a new centre-back before the end of the month.
Rennes youngster Jeremy Jacquet is high on the club’s wish list and reports this week suggest Chelsea have agreed personal terms with the 20-year-old.
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Chelsea are yet to negotiate a transfer fee for the defender with the French side.
Marcos Senesi is also rumored to be a target for Chelsea, although The Pitch Prospect understands Bournemouth will reject all offers for the Argentine this month.
Barcelona and Juventus are also said to be interested in the 28-year-old, whose current contract expires at the end of the season.
The Cherries are keen to tie the defender down to a new contract but Senesi has rejected multiple offers to extend his stay at the Vitality Stadium.
Chelsea have won three of four games under Rosenior, beating Charlton, Brentford and Pafos, and they face another London derby when they travel to Crystal Palace on Sunday.